Thousands of anti-globalisation demonstrators took to the streets of Paris and Geneva Saturday in protest against the ongoing World Trade Organisation (WTO) conference in Doha. In Paris, some 8,000 demonstrators, carrying banners that read ''the world is no commodity'' and ''WTO - the mad cow disease of the capital'' staged a rally, organisers said.
They said the rally was staged in a bid to counter efforts to criminalize globalisation opponents. Among the protesters were leading greens politicians and the president of the Communist Party Robert Hueneben.
In Geneva, where the WTO is headquartered, 5,000 demonstrators marched through the city. Among the participants of the protest were farmers, trade union activists and students. Police reported scattered incidents of clashes with police when activists sprayed the building housing the giant credit Suisse Bank with paint, smashed window panes of luxury shops and toppled advertising boards.
Bureau Report