ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) -- Some protests near the site of the Republican National Convention in St. Paul, Minnesota, have turned violent.

Police say protesters smashed windows, punctured car tires and threw bottles during an anti-war march. Police used pepper spray in some confrontations with demonstrators and arrested five. They're accused of setting fire to a trash bin and pushing it into a police car.

Police estimate there were 8,000 to 10,000 protesters.

Instead of the single coherent march that organizers had hoped for, fringe groups raised havoc along the streets between the state Capitol and the Xcel Energy Center where the convention is taking place.

The arrests occurred several blocks from the arena.

Some marchers smashed windows of cars and stores, tipped over newspaper boxes, pulled a trash bin into the street, bent the rear view mirrors on a bus and flipped heavy stone garbage bins on the sidewalks.

They were followed by teams of riot officers carrying batons, rifles and guns that could be used to shoot tear gas.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)