Brussels Anti-War Protest Turns Violent
A protest march of at least 1,500 demonstrators against war in Iraq turned violent Sunday in downtown Brussels when dozens of youths clashed with police and attacked American-owned businesses.
Masked, stone-throwing youths broke windows at a McDonald's fast food restaurant and a Marriot hotel, as well as a local temporary employment agency. Only minor damage was done, however, as riot police moved in, backed by water canons. No tear gas was used.
Twenty-nine protesters were arrested. Police said many of them were charged with damaging private property and for rioting.
The rioting began when up to 100 youths, many of them of Arab origin, broke away from the main body of the anti-war protesters who were marching through the city center.
They hurled stones at businesses and police, who responded with baton charges. Photographers and TV camera operators were also targeted by the rioters.
Police helicopters were monitoring the demonstration and water-canon trucks were on standby as officers tried to contain the violence.
Police said 1,500 protesters comprising pro-Palestinian and anti-capitalist groups joined the demonstration led by a banner reading "Stop USA." March organizers said some 5,000 people took part.
"We are against President Bush's policies in Afghanistan and Iraq," said Han Soete, a march organizer. "We don't want another war."
They chanted slogans against the policies of U.S. President George W. Bush and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.
Meahwhile, Organizers of the massive march which filled the streets of Florence on Saturday and which had prompted fears for the city's art heritage have called for anti-war rallies in cities across Europe Feb. 15.
"We're hoping for a total turnout of 10 million people" for the appointment, said Claudio Jampaglia, a spokesman for the European Social Forum said Sunday.
The group organized Saturday's march, whose peaceful, carnival-like mood defied critics, including Premier Silvio Berlusconi, who had expressed worries about possible violence.
Jampaglia said it remained to be worked out just which cities would host the Feb. 15 rallies to protest the U.S. government's position on Iraq.
Organizers boasted that nearly 1 million people turned out for Saturday's demonstration against any U.S. attack on Iraq and against the drawbacks of economic globalization. Police put the number at half that.
In the days leading up to the march, thousands of young people converged on Florence to hold discussions on peace and development.
Fearing violence like that which devastated much of Genoa last year during the G-8 summit, many merchants boarded up shop windows, banks covered over automatic teller machines and art officials worried about how to protect the city's Renaissance treasures.
On Sunday, as thousands of participants headed home, art officials expressed relief that Florence's Renaissance heritage had escaped unscathed.
"I'm very happy that the outcome was so good," said Florence's museum superintendent Antonio Paolucci. "But I reiterate that Florence doesn't lend itself to demonstrations of this kind -- all the danger was there."
Demonstrators came from Greece, Spain, Britain, Denmark and other countries to join Italians in the protest, which was also aimed against the corporate interests of multinationals at what protesters say is the expense of the poor and the environment.