Saturday 28 November 2009

Anti-WTO riots erupt in Geneva


RIOTS erupted in Geneva on Saturday during massive and angry protests against the World Trade Organisation meeting being held there from Monday.

Black Bloc anarchists smashed windows of banks and other capitalist premises and set fire to cars.

Said a report on Indymedia: "Police used tear gas, concussion greandes and water cannon. Further protests are scheduled with the WTO meeting starting on Monday 30th November, ten years exactly since the famous Seattle WTO protests."

According to the Associated Press, Eric Grandjean, a police spokesman, said Black Bloc protesters threw fire bombs at police from the march.

"They also damaged 12 businesses, including a bank at Place Bel-Air and a jewellery shop and a hotel on the Quai des Bergues," he added.

A BBC report, which includes a video, helpfully explained that the protest was being staged because of the arrival in town of the WTO "which protesters say works on behalf of big business and exploits the developing world".

Swiss paper Le Matin has a gallery of photos on its website. The protest involved 4,000 to 5,000 people.