gelatik
17.03.02, 02:48
Police in Barcelona have fired tear gas and rubber bullets during running
skirmishes with protesters marching in response to the EU economic summit,
which ended on Saturday.
The trouble - which left 18 injured, including seven policemen - came towards
the end of a march which for the most part was noisy but peaceful.
The BBC's Malcolm Brabant says it is not clear how the clashes began, but the
vast majority of the marchers, from anti-globalisation campaigners to Basque
nationalists, were not involved.
The EU leaders had earlier agreed a number of moves designed to push forward
free-market reforms.
The centre-piece was a compromise deal to allow competition in supplies of gas
and electricity to businesses from 2004.
But a bid to extend this to supplies for homes was blocked by France.
Various grievances
The demonstrators - who had been marching from Placa de Catalunya to the
harbour front - were protesting against everything from the Euro and free-
market globalisation to Israeli violence.
Along with communists, Greens, and the opponents of globalisation are Catalan
and Basque nationalists.
There was also a group of anti-Americans masquerading as Afghan prisoners
detained at Camp X-ray in Cuba.
Police moved in as young militants, some hooded or wearing masks, set fire to
rubbish cans and threw stones bottles and flares.
Police said some banks and storefronts were wrecked and there were 38 arrests
"We're here to say 'no' to the European Union, which... is becoming a model for
globalisation and is more like the US in favour of arms and war," said Ada
Colau, a spokeswoman for the march organisers.
The protest even encroached on one of the biggest Spanish football matches of
the season, between Barcelona and Real Madrid, in Barcelona on Saturday evening.
The game had to be stopped briefly as two demonstrators who had handcuffed
themselves to the goal posts were removed
