London (CNN) -- Diehard supporters, tourists and the curious swamped pockets of left-wing protesters to bid farewell to former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in London Wednesday. In scenes that echoed the divisions Thatcher drove through Britain as she transformed the economy and society during the 1980s, people of all social classes lined the route from the Palace of Westminster to St. Paul's, some to pay tribute, some to condemn and many just to get up close to a spectacular state occasion. Hours before the ceremony began, the crowds were already five or six deep in some places; thousands crammed onto the sidewalk alongside souvenir shops and cafes opposite the cathedral -- for centuries a symbol of London and the site of historic moments in the life of the city, from the Blitz to the Royal Wedding of Prince Charles and Lady Diana to the Occupy protests.
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Supporters turn out to honor the "Iron Lady" at her funeral at London's St Paul's Cathedral
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Small bands of protesters also turn out to mark Margaret Thatcher's divisive legacy
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Thatcher fans lining route drown out boos with spontaneous applause, cheering
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Funeral is the biggest for a UK politician since Winston Churchill's farewell in 1965
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