Protesters lay in the street, blocking the Rose Festival Grand Floral Parade along Martin Luther King Boulevard in NE Portland on Saturday.

Police arrested eight pro-Palestinian protesters who attempted to block the Portland Rose Festival’s Grand Floral Parade on Saturday, according to a news release from the Portland Police Bureau.

The pro-Palestinian protest began small outside the Oregon Convention Center on NE Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard around 8:30 a.m., slowly accruing people as the morning went on. Police on bikes lined up in between the protest and the parade.

As the parade started passing through, the protesters — who had grown to about 50 people — continually chanted, “While you’re watching, bombs are dropping.” Some held Palestinian flags. Others held paper poppies, which protesters said were linked to Armistice Day, commemorating the end of World War I.

At one point, a woman allegedly splashed a drink at police, according to the release.

Around 11:15 a.m., several protesters passed the police line, jumping into the street and laying on the ground in front of the 234th Army Band. After pausing for a moment in front of the protesters, the band marched around them.

Police then detained some protesters. The release said the same woman who splashed her drink allegedly threw a can with liquid in it at officers during the arrests — causing no injuries. Police arrested her about 30 minutes later.