POLICE AND PROTESTERS CLASH IN PRAGUE WebPosted Tue Sep 26 22:21:38 2000
PRAGUE--Thousands of activists hurled cobblestones and Molotov cocktails at riot police Tuesday, fulfilling their threat to disrupt the opening of the annual World Bank and International Monetary Fund meetings
Wearing black and wielding sticks, protesters descended within metres of the conference centre where delegates met. They failed to shut down the meetings, but succeeded in blocking access to them for a few hours.
Molotov cocktails torched some officers
Several officers were set on fire when a gasoline bomb exploded. The flames were put out with a water cannon.
Police used tear gas, dogs and stun grenades to force the anti-globalization protesters back.
Czech officials said about 65 people were hurt.
The protests were the ugliest since demonstrations against globalization began over the weekend.
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Police used tear gas to disperse crowd
Many of the delegates arrived before dawn to avoid demonstrations outside the heavily guarded Prague Congress Centre.
The protesters say the policies of the World Bank and the IMF are hurting the world's poor.
They contend that the dominance of global conglomerates is making life even worse for poor people in the third world.
The violence recalled similar scenes at international meetings in Seattle and Washington.
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Police called in additional security from all over the country to boost the 11,000 officers already guarding Prague.
Many citizens have left the city and store fronts are boarded up in anticipation of the violence.
The clashes forced IMF organizers to cancel a gala evening at the Prague opera but they said talks would continue as scheduled.
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