BOSTON — With protest groups focusing on Republicans next month in New York, the Democrats' convention week wound down with just a minor closing-day flare-up between activists and police.

A collection of groups — anti-war, anti-Bush, anti-Kerry and anti-establishment — mostly have chanted and marched peacefully along streets where police at times far outnumbered them.

That overall calm was disrupted for a couple of hours Thursday, when an anarchist demonstration of about 400 people stopped near the FleetCenter and burned an effigy of Sen. John Kerry and a flag. There was a scuffle, and three men were arrested, police said.

Police in riot gear moved in, creating a barrier between the convention hall and a number of angry protesters who eventually left without further incident.

Organizers deemed the response needlessly heavy-handed.

"Things have gone pretty well — besides the police intimidation," said Elly Guillette, 27, of the anarchist group Bl(A)ck Tea Society.

Hundreds of thousands of protesters are expected in New York when Republicans send President Bush off for re-election.

The lack of protest oomph was pointedly on display Thursday morning when a half-dozen bandanna-masked youths sat in Copley Square pounding 5-gallon, plastic buckets — an anarchist trademark.

When they moved across the street to the steps of the Boston Public Library, an unarmed security guard shooed them away. A policeman watched with mild amusement as the drummers — quite lawfully — took the long route back to the park — via a crosswalk.

"We have trained two years for this, and they showed us nothing," said the officer, who declined to give his name. "I'm disappointed in the quality of anarchists we've got here."