[Iran Press TV Latest] Swiss police have fired tear gas and rubber bullets at hooded protesters during a demonstration ahead of a major WTO conference in Geneva. Thousands marched in the protest against the World Trade Organization ministerial meeting, which begins on Monday, with the vast majority of demonstrators not participating in the violence, AFP reported on Saturday.
They always do, don't they? And it's always only the pros that get out and fling the Molotov cocktails. It's really rather predictable, y'know.
Organizers later decided to end the demonstration due to the violence and because police prevented the march from continuing to WTO headquarters, the Swiss news agency ATS reported.
About 200 violent protesters infiltrated the march and "began to inflict damage right from the start of the demonstration," police spokesman Patrick Puhl said. Police then fired tear gas and rubber bullets to stop them.
Organizers put the total number of protesters at 5,000, while police said it was 3,000.
Next week's gathering falls on the 10th anniversary of the ministerial meeting in Seattle, which was marked by violent street protests.
Over a hundred ministers will gather for the WTO conference, though there have been concerns linked to the United States and the European Union.
Diplomats in Geneva note that the fact that the United States still has no ambassador to the WTO is a sign that President Barack Obama's administration has put little emphasis on trade talks at the moment.
Much more serious clashes have occurred at previous meetings of WTO trade chiefs. The last was held in Hong Kong four years ago. Others were in Cancun, Mexico and Seattle.