By Steve Lyttle
slyttle@charlotteobserver.com

Anti-abortion protesters are causing traffic delays this morning on Interstate 77 in south Charlotte, authorities say.

The protesters arrived before 8 a.m. on the Remount Road overpass on I-77 and waved signs at motorists traveling below. A number of motorists who contacted the Observer said they called police to complain about the picketers, contending the protest could cause a wreck on the freeway.

The N.C. Department of Transportation put out an advisory a short time later, warning motorists to expect congestion on both sides of I-77 in the area.

The protesters are believed to be from Concord-based Operation Save America, which is holding its national conference in Charlotte this week. Members of the group waved signs Monday evening on the Graham Street overpass on Interstate 85. They also spent several hours Tuesday protesting at Trade and Tryon streets in the uptown area.

Organizers say they will continue to conduct anti-abortion protests at selected sites this week, including medical facilities that they say support abortions. They also plan some type of event Friday at a mosque. In addition to opposing abortion, the group says it is against homosexuality and Islamic violence.

Operation Save America classifies itself as a conservative Christian organization.