Anti-war protesters charged

Anti-war protesters charged

Police and anti-war protesters clashed

Eight people were arrested at an anti-war protest which saw scuffles in Cardiff's city centre on Thursday evening.

Five men, one youth and a woman were charged following the demonstration, said a South Wales police spokesman.

Three men have been charged with affray and a 16-year-old faces a charge of affray and assault on a police officer.

A 37-year-old woman faces a section four public order charge and a 39-year-old man is charged with obstruction.

A 38-year-old man was also cautioned for obstruction.

They will appear at Cardiff Magistrates Court on 2 April.

Superintendent Kevin Tumelty said: "I would like to send a strong message out to anyone wanting to demonstrate in the coming weeks about our willingness to co-operate with them.

"I urge organisers to contact us so that we can help you to stage your protests in a planned and peaceful manner."

During the protest, an American flag was taped to the plinth of the Aneurin Bevan statue and was set alight.

And traffic was blocked in three directions in the heart of the city centre when a group of people staged a sit-down protest.

Protesters at Kingway sat down in the road in front of Cardiff Castle at the top of High Street.

Traffic blocked

A police van tried to make its way slowly through the sit-down protest and scuffles broke out.

Police also cordoned off Castle Street before turning back traffic at three routes into the city.

Traffic was also queuing back along St Mary's Street, North Road and the Gabalfa flyover.

A Stop the War Coalition spokesperson described what happened when the police van approached demonstrators in the road.

"A scuffle ensued and police got out of the van and dragged people from in front of it," he said.

"The police approach had been very softly softly before then," he added.

The spokesman said the scuffle lasted for about a minute and described the incident as 'a pity'.

He said, up until then, the march had been a two-hour peaceful protest.

A Cardiff Council spokesman said traffic problems, which gridlocked the city centre, were beyond the authority's control.

The spokesman added: "There are no reports of damage to the statue as yet."