Salzburg officials have said that 13 people were arrested and five people were injured, one seriously, in clashes between police and protesters in the city yesterday. One demonstrator and four police officials were wounded during confrontations between baton-bearing police and stone-throwing protesters. The clashes occurred when anti-capitalist protestors tried to disrupt the start of a three-day meeting organised by the World Economic Forum.
The 13 people who were arrested included five Austrians, three Germans, as well as Italian, Turkish, Congolese and Colombian nationals. These were all released from custody overnight. One of the police officers, who suffered concussion after being hit by a stone, is due to be discharged from hospital later today.
Nearly 1,000 protestors, the majority of whom were Austrian, gathered in Salzburg to disrupt the summit. They see the Geneva-based WEF as a key foe in their battle against the effects of modern global capitalism. Negotiations between demonstrators and police officials calmed the disruption late last night. The majority of the protesters were escorted to the city's railway station, where special trains were laid on to return them home. Salzburg authorities are not expecting further disruption at the meeting, which continues until Tuesday. However, police remain on stand-by in the city.
