Protesters shouting "Bush go home!" clashed with riot police,  outside the Museum of Civilization, where the U.S. president had dinner with Canadian ministers and dignitaries.

Though most of Tuesday's demonstrations were peaceful, protesters grew rowdy earlier in the day Tuesday, scuffling with police near the Chateau Laurier hotel in the capital's downtown, a stone's throw from Parliament Hill.

As demonstrators tried to cross a bridge, a line of police in riot gear moved in to hold them back. Some protesters threw placards, sticks, pumpkins and water bottles at police.

One officer was showered with a bucket of red paint. Another officer was reportedly hit with a brick, and could be seen being helped away from the police line. At least three protesters were arrested, reports CTV's Rosemary Thompson.

The clashes were a break from what had been a relatively peaceful protest on Parliament Hill. That's where protesters toppled a five-metre-tall papier mache effigy of Bush, while shouting "No to Bush'' and "We don't want war.''

The action was meant to echo a familiar image from the Iraq War when a statue of Saddam Hussein was brought down.

About 5,000 activists turned out for the protests, though organizers say it was more like 13,000. They were there to demonstrate against Bush's decision to wage war in Iraq and American plans for an anti-missile defence shield. They carried placards that read everthing from "Please Leave," to: "A Village in Texas has Lost Its Idiot."

During an early afternoon news conference with Prime Minister Paul Martin, Bush said he was pleased with the welcome he received Tuesday morning.

"I want to thank the Canadian people who came out to wave -- with all five fingers -- for their hospitality," he said with a chuckle, jokingly referring to the one-finger salute he often receives from protesters.

Security for Bush's one-day visit to the capital was unprecedented, creating a kind of siege atmosphere as almost no traffic moved in the downtown. Snipers stood on the rooftops near meeting sites, scanning the crowds with binoculars.

The demonstrations are far from over. More are planned for Wednesday, when several thousand people are expected to turn up for a demonstration in Halifax, where Bush will give a speech at the Pier 21 museum on the waterfront.

That protest is being organized by the Halifax Peace Coalition, which spent Tuesday picketing SNC-Lavalin. Protesters say the bullets produced by the Canadian company are used by the U.S. military in the Iraq war.