It was hard to tell the activists from the royalists yesterday when Britain's Queen Elizabeth II glided past a group of protesters in a blue Rolls Royce.

"Say it loud, say it clear, refugees are welcome here," a group of about 200 protesters led by a bearded man with a megaphone shouted as the queen, on her way to open a Commonwealth summit at a nearby resort, drove past.

But even some of the placard-holders applauded as the Queen granted the group a royal white-gloved wave as she turned the corner under a police motorcycle escort and with two Australian army helicopters flying overhead.

Across the road, royal-watchers mixed with kids carrying surfboards on their way back from the beach.

A light drizzle which turned to a steady shower cut short the planned six-hour protest to about two hours before most of the protesters boarded buses to return to Brisbane, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) south.

Brisbane was the original site of the conference planned for last October, but it was postponed following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Protesters then predicted that up to 10,000 would march in the streets of the Queensland state capital.

But the more secure confines of the Coolum resort and its distance from Brisbane -- along with the rain -made it more difficult for the protesters to have as big an impact as they had hoped.

The dominant theme yesterday among the protesters watched by an estimated 200 police was Australia's mandatory detention of refugees.

Prime Minister John Howard's government has come under criticism for its hardline policy of using the navy to turn away all asylum seekers caught trying to sneak into the country by boat. It also holds many asylum seekers in detention camps while their applications to stay in the country are processed.

"More and more people have come on to the streets in the past few months to protest against Australia's policy on illegal immigrants," said Maria Vouklatis, a 24-year-old arts student at the University of Queensland who is one of the leaders of the CHOGM (Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting) Action Alliance.

"It contravenes human rights law and we want CHOGM to take disciplinary action against Australia," she added.

The alliance's protests include those against irradiation of food, the civil war in Sudan -- asking Commonwealth countries for help to end the 19-year conflict -- third-world debt and Aboriginal land claims in Australia.

Covering both sides yesterday were Jan Hilda and Lillian Jones, whose house was situated between tow busloads of riot police and the group of protesters.

With a pot of tea on a makeshift card table and scones in the oven, the two, flying the Rainbow flag representing rights for gays and lesbians, were hoping to get he queen to stop for a chat.

"If she stops, we'll tell her how unjust Howard's policy is on immigrants," said Hilda. "We were going to go to Sydney for the Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras, but decided to stay here and see a real queen instead.”