 The protest brought the city centre to a standstill |
Hundreds of anti-war campaigners protesting at the start of the war in Iraq have blocked the streets of Bristol. About 400 peace protesters - many of them schoolchildren - converged on the city centre at lunchtime on Thursday.
The demonstration caused major disruption, with police eventually sealing off the area.
One protester stopped the traffic by lying down in the middle of the road and covering herself with a sheet.
Protesters return
A spokesman for Avon and Somerset Police said: "A decision was taken to seal off the city centre to traffic by closing the feeder roads leading to it.
"We are trying to protect the safety of these people and ease the gridlock."
Jacob's Wells Road, the top of Park Street and Lewins Mead were closed and traffic could not turn into Baldwin Street from Bristol Bridge or into Commercial Road from Prince Street.
The roads were later reopened, although protesters returned to the city centre at 1800 GMT.
Police said they had made made two arrests during the protest.
One man was arrested over an incident involving threatening behaviour, another for assaulting a police officer.
At 1800 GMT, a police spokesman said: "There is around about 3,000 peace protesters now in the area of the city centre near the Hippodrome.
"We are continuing to keep the feeder roads into the city centre closed for the time being and are encouraging drivers to rethink their normal routes and not to attempt to come anywhere near the city centre if at all possible."
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