Prague protests turn violent

PRAGUE, Czech Republic -- Petrol bombs, protest barriers and cobblestones were thrown at riot police as anti-capitalism protests became violent near the summit of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank in Prague.

Czech officials said at least 15 people -- including 12 police -- had been injured as Molotov cocktails exploded amid violent clashes.

Tear gas and water cannon were used to force back a breakaway group of activists that attempted to reach the summit venue to shut down the meetings of the global financial institutions.

Nearby, up to 5,000 other protesters are still in a standoff with thousands of armed police at a bridge that is the only access point to the Congress Centre.

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The clashes are a reminder of violent disruptions at last year's IMF and World Bank summits in the U.S. cities of Seattle and Washington, although Prague authorities have so far prevented the trouble reaching the convention.

South Africa's Finance Minister, Trevor Manuel, who is chairman of the summit, said it was "a pity that it has descended into violence."

"I know what they're against but have no sense of what they're for," he said.

Fifteen-thousand people, including delegates from 182 countries, are attending the annual meetings to discuss world financial issues including third world debt and poverty, rising oil prices and the declining value of the euro currency.

But the anti-capitalist protesters see the institutions as a central reason for the economic problems faced by the third world. They want wealthy countries to cancel the debt of poor nations.

As the summit opened, World Bank President James Wolfensohn told delegates the protesters' message should be heard although he did not directly mention their tactics.

"Outside these walls, young people are demonstrating against globalisation," Wolfensohn said. "I believe deeply that many of them are asking legitimate questions, and I embrace the commitment of a new generation to fight poverty. I share their passion and their questioning."

Czech authorities were ready for trouble, mobilising 11,000 police and putting 5,000 troops on standby.

Earlier, 1,000 activists marched through Prague's streets to Namesti Miru (Peace Square).

Some demonstrators threw stones at a McDonald's outlet in a town square, cracking the glass door.

In the days leading up to the meetings, Czech authorities stopped almost 300 people at the country's borders who had previous arrest records from anti-globalisation rallies. "We condemn this attempt of the Czech government to prevent people from exercising their democratic rights to freedom of speech, movement and gathering," complained Alice Dvorska, a spokeswoman for an activist umbrella group, the Initiative Against Economic Globalisation.

Czech Prime Minister Milos Zeman told CNN that the authorities' vigilance was aimed at protecting the conference delegates and the residents of Prague: "We are not against protests. We are against violence.

"If you show you are prepared, the protesters hesitate a little in being involved," he said referring to the low turnout.

Most of the delegates attending the meetings were bussed to the venue at dawn before the access bridge was closed.

Many local shops were shut and boarded up by owners worried that their property could be damaged.

The IMF's Deputy Managing Director, Stanley Fischer, told CNN the issues raised by the demonstrators would be a key focus at the meetings.

"I hope and expect that we will be able to accelerate the work on debt relief at these meetings," he said, conceding there are improvements to be made in how the institutions deal with the problems.

"The recipes have worked in many countries but there are still poverty problems ... I'm sure we don't have exactly the right formulae."

Fischer said the IMF was working very hard to alleviate the problems and the greatest reduction in world poverty in history had already been achieved during its existence.

World Bank statistics predicted that the inclusion of 20 nations in new debt-relief efforts, out of 40 that are eligible, will result in forgiveness of 65 percent of those countries' foreign debt, saving them about $30 billion.

The Associated Press & Reuters contributed to this report.

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