Protesters who were blocking the Tissa-Kataragama Road at Pallemalala Junction were baton charged and dispersed by police a short while ago.

The locals had gathered at the junction earlier this morning and launched a protest demanding safe drinking water.

Police said that it used minimum force in dispersing the protesters when they could not be convinced to leave peacefully.

The protest, which lasted for more than three hours, created a long line of traffic on both sides of the road.