BANGOR parents and their children took to the streets to protest against controversial new police powers.
From 9pm on Monday, police have had the right to disperse children under 16 from the city centre with powers of arrest.
Nick Pickles from civil rights group Big Brother Watch called the Order madness and compared it to "North Korea not North Wales."
"The potential punishment for a fifteen year old is three months in prison and breaching this order carries a very, very severe penalty," said Mr Pickles.
"If someone is breaking the law, whether they are 15 or 50 is irrelevant. The police can and should arrest them, and they should be held accountable. This order makes no distinction, and treats every young person as a criminal.
“The wording of the order does not require someone to be actually doing anything harmful for them to be liable.
"The idea you could be fined or imprisoned for walking through the town centre simply because you are 15 and not accompanied by a parent is madness," he said.
Mum-of-five Jane Shaw said she believes the curfew could endanger children who would have to avoid areas covered by the order.
"My 15-year-old daughter is usually in by 9.30pm and the only place for her to walk home now is the side streets," said Mrs Shaw, who runs the White Lion pub.
"She gets the bus home from seeing her friends in Maesgeirchen and there's street cameras all the way home in the High Street.
"And that's my worry really that she won't be safe while she's walking home."
The Dispersal Order covers central Bangor and the streets of Glynne Road, Friars Avenue, Mount Street, Maes y Dre, Dean Street, Brick Street, James Street, Well Street, Ashley Road, Ffordd Gwynedd, Tan y Fynwent, Glan yr Afon, Glan yr Afon Hill, Lower Penrallt Road, Penrallt Road, Deiniol Street and The Crescent and include parts of High Street, Love Lane, Deiniol Road, Holyhead Road, College Road, Ffordd Islwyn and Orme Road.
Mum-of-two Tracey Bargh added: "I think it's awful really not only are they saying the kids are bad but it's blackening the city and that will have repercussions.
“I think it's stupid and I don't think they realise the impact this will have. The kids will just move to a different area and at least in the town centre the CCTV can pick them up.
" Nobody really knows the proper guidelines and I've checked the Order and it even covers the bus station so the kids can't even catch a bus.
"It's really harsh on the kids because they need to have their own independence and they're just tarnishing everyone with the same brush."