BERLIN (AP) — Several hundred peace activists have started what they say will be a months-long protest march from Berlin to war-ravaged Syria to urge an end to the fighting there.

The Civil March for Aleppo set off carrying white flags from Berlin's former Tempelhof Airport on Monday in cloudy, cold and blustery weather.

Organizers said they expect to cover about 20 kilometers (12 miles) a day and to take about 3 ½ months to walk through Germany, the Czech Republic, Austria, Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Macedonia, Greece and Turkey. Some will walk part of the way while others are invited to join along the route.

They hope to at least reach Turkey's border with Syria and if possible the Syrian city of Aleppo, the recent scene of heavy fighting and widespread misery.