Over 1300 people have been arrested
The protests failed to halt the meetings
Police in Washington have arrested another 600 people, as they tried to disrupt the final day of talks between financial leaders. The authorities have now detained more than 1,300 people during the meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The protestors accuse the organisations of working against the interests of developing countries. Police hurled tear gas and sprayed pepper to crush protests, who ended their second day of intense rallies. The Mayor of Washington, Anthony Williams, has denied accusations from protesters that the police used heavy-handed tactics, but admitted that tear gas was used once.
The arrest total was more than twice the 525 people who were arrested late last year as protests and disruption ended the WTO conference in Seattle. Demonstrators brought large parts of downtown Washington to a standstill for two days, but failed to halt the meetings. The protests remained generally peaceful, with little of the property destruction that occurred in Seattle. As demonstrators dispersed, many promised to travel to Philadelphia and Los Angeles in mid-year to rally at the Republican and Democratic political conventions. They also plan to continue their anti-International Monetary Fund theme when the lending agency meets in Prague in September.
About 5,000 protesters massed behind police barricades a block away from the IMF and World Bank buildings yesterday. There were repeated scuffles between protesters and police clad in riot gear and gas masks. Protesters lined up in driving rain behind police barricades just one block from the bank and IMF buildings and several blocks away from the White House. After a tense stand-off for about an hour, police allowed small groups to cross the barrier and then face arrest. Eventually, 400 people passed through the barricades to offer themselves up for peaceful arrest. 200 others were arrested in various scuffles throughout the day.
