Anarchists who had threatened to “crash the convention” wreaked havoc Monday in downtown St. Paul as the Republican National Convention opened, shattering windows, throwing rocks, slashing tires and blocking traffic.

Their violence on the first day of the convention overshadowed an anti-war march that drew a fraction of the number expected.

The march, which sparked at least three free-speech court challenges, came off without a hitch. But breakaway groups of anarchists — some clad in black and others dressed as colorfully as clowns — kept police busy. Nearly 300 people had been arrested as of late Monday night.

Spasms of violence erupted throughout downtown as tear gas was fired and protesters — some angry, some insistent on dancing amid the chaos — played a game of cat-and-mouse as police, backed up by 150 Minnesota National Guard soldiers, alternately accommodated, confronted and chased roving bands intent on disrupting the convention.

Organizers of the Coalition to March on the RNC and End the War estimated 30,000 people showed up to march from the state Capitol to the Xcel Energy Center. They had expected 50,000.

Police put the crowd at about 10,000.

Signs spoke to every cause at the march: “9-11 was an inside job,” “Bush lied, thousands died” and “I love my country but fear my government.”

Sue from Alexandria (she wouldn’t give her last name) held the last sign: “We’re going in the wrong direction,” she said. “I’m so totally fed up. I don’t know why there aren’t a million people here protesting.”

A group carrying an Industrial Workers of the World banner directed its message to officers in riot gear lining the side streets along the route on Seventh Street.

“No justice, no peace, police off the streets,” they shouted. “Tell me what a police state looks like. This is what a police state looks like.”

Kelly Moreno, of South St. Paul, carried a sign that read, “Unjust war: What would Jesus do?”

“It was beautiful. It was peaceful,” Moreno said of the march.

CHAOS DOWNTOWN

Off the main march route, though, rogue protesters sporadically caused chaos, making good on their slogan to “crash the convention.”

Impromptu roadblocks, slashed tires and broken windows kept phalanxes of police on the move as the protesters — many in dark clothes with bandanas over their faces — weaved through the streets.

Some of the most violent protesters left broken windows, overturned garbage containers and trash-strewn streets.

About 1:20 p.m., a group blocked John Ireland Boulevard between Kellogg Boulevard and 12th Street. They danced and sang, “We’re not gonna take it anymore!”

Several started heading toward 12th Street and tried to block police vehicles with a trash bin. As they continued down 12th Street, they picked up traffic signs, sandbags and garbage and threw them into the street.

Police squads followed, blaring horns and sirens.

About 3:25 p.m., at Kellogg Boulevard and Minnesota Street, protesters stopped traffic, dancing in the street and playing music. Some dumped trash and threw plastic news boxes.

“Delegates on the bus, delegates on the bus!” protesters shouted as they crowded in front of a bus.

A Bloomington police officer got on a bullhorn and told the group, “This is your final warning.” Officers in riot gear stood in a line on Kellogg. They were backed by National Guard troops with riot shields.

As some demonstrators threw glass bottles, law enforcement responded with tear gas, pepper spray and even a concussion grenade to break up the crowd.

Bystanders on a nearby sidewalk gagged and coughed.

A half-hour later, a group headed down Robert Street, then east toward Mears Park. Police followed close behind.

“The whole world’s watching,” protesters shouted. Police shouted, “Move! Move!”

At Seventh and Jackson streets, officers on horses and on foot cornered protesters and ordered them onto the ground, spraying pepper spray. Some lay on the ground and were arrested.

Witnesses said 40 to 50 people were arrested, including Amy Goodman, host of the left-wing radio show “Democracy Now!” She was later released.

Also arrested Monday was Associated Press photographer Matt Rourke. However, the AP reported that he was being released and Ramsey County prosecutors didn’t anticipate charges.

Downtown workers and visitors often were caught in the shifting melees.

Employees at the parking lot at Fourth and Minnesota streets, for example, complained of burning eyes and skin from a police confrontation at Kellogg.

Jared Kronberg, working the Joe’s Hot Dog stand in Mears Park, said he was gassed as police confronted protesters about 2:30 p.m.

“The park board told us the protests were never going to get this far,” he said, closing his cart for the day. “This is ridiculous.”

Jim Meehan, of St. Paul, was sitting down for a beer at Alary’s Bar when he saw a group of protesters running past him on Seventh Street.

“They were being chased by cops on bikes and on horses,” he said.

Meehan said a protester on a bicycle was tackled by a Minneapolis officer on a bike, then shocked with a Taser repeatedly.

“You could just hear him shrieking. It was ugly. The guy was not fighting back,” he said.

In the late afternoon, officers encountered an “organized group” of people on Shepard Road who had shields and gas masks and were throwing rocks, bottles and bags of feces at officers, St. Paul police Cmdr. Doug Holtz said. Officers shot bean bags at the group, Holtz said. About 100 people were arrested.

As of 10:15 p.m. Monday, the arrest tally had reached 284, authorities said, and the figure was expected to climb. Those arrested so far included cases of 130 felonies, 51 gross misdemeanors and 103 misdemeanors.

DELEGATES HASSLED

Some delegates were confronted on their way to the Xcel Energy Center.

A rock was thrown through the windshield of the Alabama delegates’ bus, showering the driver and retired Alabama Supreme Court judge Terry Butts with glass.

Masked protesters confronted the Connecticut delegation, and several delegates were spat upon, roughed up and doused with a mixture of water and bleach.

Heath Fahle, director of the Connecticut Republicans, said the incident happened on Kellogg Boulevard about 2 p.m. “It was frightening,” he said.

He said the delegation of more than 100 got off their chartered buses near the X. As they walked on the sidewalk, masked protesters chanting anti-war slogans appeared in front of them.

They linked arms, trying to create a human barricade. As police on horseback arrived, Fahle and other delegates tried to push through. Most of them escaped unscathed, but the protesters splattered the last group of delegates with the liquid.

Former U.S. Rep. Rob Simmons was hit in the face with the liquid. He was outraged.

“We were attacked by a mob,” he said. “We were subjected to violent and anarchist behavior by a bunch of thugs.”

The area was supposed to be secured, he said, “but this was a breach in security, obviously.”

INTERRUPTIONS

Buses were canceled, uncanceled and then re-canceled.

Bridges across the river were abruptly closed, leading to confusion as families tried to walk to a Labor Day festival on Harriet Island. Detour and traffic plans were useless, and downtown businesses and residents lost access to their buildings during confrontations.

In addition, the city’s only detour south of the Xcel Center, Shepard Road, was closed for hours during a mass arrest.

Metro Transit temporarily suspended bus service in downtown St. Paul for about three hours in the afternoon because of traffic congestion caused by protest activity.

Still, police said the day went as planned.

St. Paul Police Chief John Harrington said the anarchists’ “mission by their own words” had been to block the delegates from getting to the convention, “storm the gates to the convention” and to keep the convention goers from being able to leave. Those things didn’t happen, Harrington said.

The “first salvo” was about 11 a.m., when a group of people set a trash bin on fire and pushed it into a squad car near Grand and Smith avenues, Harrington said.

At various times, people threw liquid, “gas of their own” and rocks at officers, Harrington said.

“Unfortunately today, a very small handful of individuals decided to break the law, damage property and put people’s safety at risk,” Mayor Chris Coleman said. “We saw years of training on the part of our police officers that have paid off today. They were well trained, well deployed, they were skilled, they were restrained and they kept the situation from getting out of control.”

There were about 10,000 peaceful protesters, Coleman said.

“As we’ve said before … we will not allow that activity to take place, to the extent that we can prevent it. We’re going to continue to maintain control in the city of St. Paul,” he said.

Coleman said he watched on police security cameras as officers were assaulted from behind and protesters broke the windows of businesses and police cars.

“That won’t stand in the city of St. Paul,” he said.

Plans today include:

The RNC Welcoming Committee will hold a 9 a.m. meeting at 400 N. Western Ave. in St. Paul.

The Poor People’s Economic Human Rights Campaign will march from Mears Park in downtown St. Paul to the Xcel Energy Center at 4 p.m.