SYDNEY, Feb. 22 (UPI) -- Street protesters in Sydney clashed with police ahead of the arrival in Australia of U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney.
About 250 people, who had been refused permission to stage a march through the center of the city, scuffled with police when they decided to go ahead without a permit.
Police arrested 10 people and herded others onto the pavement. The protesters then marched to the U.S. consulate shouting for an end to the war in Iraq and "jail Cheney."
The vice president's airliner arrived in Sydney some four hours later. He was met by Australian Defense Minister Brendan Nelson and drove to his hotel to begin a four-day stay.
A massive security operation had many streets blocked off and police units patrolled the route to the city.
Cheney is to begin talks with Australian Prime Minister John Howard Friday and also plans to meet the opposition Labor Party leader Kevin Rudd whose party is favored in the polls over the government coalition.
The latest Newspoll, published Tuesday, said 45 percent of respondents said it was time Howard set an exit date for Australian troops in Iraq.
