Riot police at the World Trade Organization talks in Hong Kong have clashed with protestors in the worst violence there for 16 years.
At least 74 people have been injured in clashes with heavily armed officers using batons, tear gas and water cannons.
The violence is the worst in Hong Kong since protests following China's bloody crackdown on democracy protesters in Tiananmen Square in Beijing in 1989.
Demonstrators attempted to break through barriers blocking their way to the convention centre using metal railings taken from dismantled barricades. Some 1,000 protesters were involved in various street battles, facing off against twice as many police.
Hong Kong police chief, Lee Ming-kwai, said 900 people had been temporarily detained, but there were no immediate figures for any arrests.
In response to the violence police blocked off several roads including a six-lane highway and closed a subway station. Dozens of business premises were boarded up earlier in the week in expectation of trouble.
An estimated 10,000 anti-globalisation protesters have converged on Hong Kong for the trade meeting, including about 2,000 South Korean farmers, workers and unionists.
Modest progress in trade talks
Inside the convention centre, trade ministers were locked in talks late into the night, trying to find an elusive world trade deal.
Officials have reported modest headway to cut trade barriers and boost growth in developing countries.
In what could prove to be a significant gesture, EU Trade Commissioner Peter Mandelson said an end to EU agricultural export subsidies in 2013 would be negotiable within an overall balanced agreement in the Doha Round of trade liberalisation talks.
Mr Mandelson was commenting on a draft text currently being considered by WTO trade ministers.
While the EU and the United States have said they are prepared in principle to end such subsidies, they have so far been unable to agree on a date, with the US pressing for 2010.
The draft will be the subject of further negotiations by trade ministers whose meeting is due to end tomorrow.
