Injuries reported in Toronto Tamil protest

TORONTO, April 29 (UPI) -- At least three Tamil protesters who blocked a major Toronto street for two days say they were injured by police trying to shrink the crowd.

One man said he was cut on the head by a police baton and two others said they sustained hand injuries when police began trying to open four of University Avenue's eight lanes for emergency vehicles Tuesday, the Toronto Sun reported.

The protest that began Sunday night was in front of the U.S. consulate and also very near three of the city's biggest hospitals.

On Monday, as many as 4,000 protesters chanted and banged drums, calling for Canada, the United States and United Nations to help Tamils in Sri Lanka establish their own country and end a bloody 25-year-old conflict with the government.

The group informally known as the Tamil Tigers leading the military resistance front is considered a terrorist group by many countries, including Canada since 2006.

Toronto emergency officials hadn't finished tallying the cost of hundreds of extra police, ambulance and fire personnel called in to keep the demonstration orderly.