Police began clearing portions of Hyde Park in central London Saturday morning, the first day of Olympic competition.

London police told VOA that a portion of the park near the Albert Memorial was cleared after a suspicious package was discovered.

A senior officer told a VOA correspondent the suspicious package was found near the Russia House Exhibition Center, a display sponsored by the Russian government. Police decided to clear everyone within 100 meters of the site – only a small portion of the 142-hectare park.

The park was beginning to fill with people visiting various Olympic venues and events at the time. Beginning at about 11 a.m. local time people in the vicinity of Russia House were directed toward exits.