Police made several arrests in the streets of downtown Portland Thursday afternoon after an anti-Bush rally began spilling into traffic.

  Watch the KGW report

The protesters had gathered downtown Portland on Thursday to call for what they called a regime change in the United States.

Portland Police detain a protester after a demonstration Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006.

Police began lining streets near SW 12th and Jefferson around 3 p.m. Cathe Kent of Portland Police said a splinter group of about 50 broke off from the protest, running south from the Park Blocks. Police said they thought the group was going to try and stop traffic on the I-405 freeway.

The group that had a permit for the gathering, said they hoped to be out of the way by rush hour.

But police on bicycles and on horseback lined the streets in the late afternoon.

As officers were making one arrest, someone in the group swung at the officer, Kent said. Officers sprayed a chemical agent after the group surged toward police and backup was called for, according to Kent.

Police clear the streets after a protest Thursday, Oct. 5, 2006.

Police fired beanbag rounds a two people who disappeared into the crowd, police said.

In all, 10 people were arrested for disorderly conduct and failing to obey police, according to Kent.

Protesters told KGW they were upset with the direction the Bush administration is taking the country.

"We're not able to control everybody, and people are free to do what they want. But as far as the organizers go, this is intended to be a free peaceful expression of what needs to happen in our country," Jim Oberg of the World Can’t Wait organization said.

The protest was a part of several taking place around the nation Thursday.

(The Associated Press and kgw.com Reporter Drew Mikkelsen contributed to this report)