APEC protests turn violent

[PhilipShore]

TVNZ
New Zealand
Nov 18, 2005

http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/411749/628803

Thousands of farm activists and union workers have clashed with police not far from a meeting of Pacific Rim leaders, hurling bottles and swinging bamboo sticks at police who responded with water cannons.

The farmers were rallying against a bill being considered by South Korea's parliament to incrementally increase foreign access to the local rice market, as well as global trade talks such as the WTO.

"No to Bush, No to APEC. No to rice market opening. No to the WTO," they shouted as they marched through Pusan.

[Journeyman]

1. Poor George, it's been a bad week. . .

both here and abroad. Couldn't happen to a more deserving 'folk'.

[xchrom]

2. all workers need certain protections

but corporations have convinced, blackmailed, brainwashed, bribed, governments into acting against their own best interests.

the political reality of the 21st century.

[saigon68]

3. A RESOUNDING "NO" TO THE AWOL CHIMPANZEE

[cal04]

4. Anti-US protest at Apec summit

Anti-American protesters and riot police fought pitched battles in the streets of Busan on Friday as thousands of people rallied against the Apec summit being held in the city.

Violence erupted as police barricaded roads and trained water cannons on activists trying to reach Busan's Bexco convention centre, where US president George W Bush and 20 other Asia-Pacific leaders were meeting. Police said 12 000 protesters, mostly farmers, rallied for four hours.

Earlier, 300 angry demonstrators armed with bamboo sticks and metal pipes had burned an effigy of Bush with the slogan "No Apec, No Bush". Police re-inforcements were drafted in as activists tried to storm barricades. Two protesters were injured, one was carried away unconscious.

'No Apec, no Bush'
A handful of riot police were also injured. No arrests were made.
Several hours earlier, police used water cannons to stop another group of protesters forcing their way onto a bridge 300 metres up the Suyeong River, which runs past the convention centre. Demonstrators took to the streets of Busan South Korea, chanting anti-US slogans and waving colourful banners reading "No Apec, No Bush" and "Terrorist Bush Go Home".

http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,,2-10-1462_1836817,00.html