Tamil protest will keep part of Toronto's University Avenue closed indefinitely

Emergency vehicles are allowed through but otherwise University Avenue between Dundas Street West and Queen Street West remains closed for a third day.

A protest by Tamils outside the U.S. consulate began Sunday night and police say that since it is peaceful, they'll allow the demonstrators to stay where they are indefinitely.

In a news release issued Wednesday morning, Toronto police said commuters should "consider alternate routes, in the affected area, until further notice." 

University Avenue is one of the city's major traffic routes.  Drivers are being diverted to other streets and some transit routes are being delayed or disrupted because of the protest.

On Monday, police said as long as there was no public safety issue, they would allow the protest to continue.

"Traffic congestion on the roadways and within the transit system is to be expected," said the most recent release. 

On Tuesday, police moved the protesters to one side of the street to allow emergency vehicles to come and go to nearby hospitals. 

Several hundred protesters have been gathered in front of the U.S. consulate hoping to pressure the U.S. into taking action to stop the fighting in Sri Lanka between government troops and Tamil forces.

The protesters say they may stay outside the consulate for days.