Feuding church-goers who lined the streets this weekend saw roads closed and a Sunday school cancelled.

There was a strong police presence in Queenstown Road, Battersea during the weekend, October 12 and 13, due to a protest outside the Ethiopian Orthodox Tewahedo Church.

Police said there was a disagreement between two parties in the church.

Four people were arrested and remain in police custody.

The police instructed Transport for London (TfL) to close part of the road during the protest, which started at about 11am and finished by 12.15pm.

A TfL spokesman said: “We were asked to put diversions in place as there was a demonstration outside the church.”

Onlookers said the group were also in the street on Saturday, October 12, and noted a strong police presence.

Children aged three upwards were not able to go to Sunday school in nearby Ridley Hall Church in Broughton Street as a result of the protest.

A spokesman for the church said: “The police advised us to cancel the Sunday school.

“There were a large number of police and protesters on the main road.

“They had to close off the area due to what was going on.

“There were a lot of people and it did cause some problems.”

A waiter from a nearby restaurant, who did not want to be named, said: “There were a lot of people in front of the church. They were here today and yesterday.

“The police came both days too. There were about 14 or 15 cars but we do not know why the people were protesting.”

The road has now re-opened.

Do you have any information on the protest? Call our newsdesk on 020 8722 6334 or email newsdesk@wandsworthguardian.co.uk.

 

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