Protests Sweep Europe

Protests Sparked By Ocalan's Capture The Hague - Around 150 Kurds stormed the Greek ambassador's residence, taking hostage the ambassador's wife, his 8-year-old son and a servant. Riot police charged into a crowd of sympathizers who were trying to join the protest, arresting many of them. Zurich - Demonstrators forced their way into the Greek consulate, taking hostage the building's owner and a policeman who tried to negotiate with them. Paris - French police ejected protesters who had occupied the Kenyan embassy. Strasbourg - French police fired teargas into the occupied Greek consulate and stormed the building, detaining some of the 30 Kurdish demonstrators. Marseille - Police forced several dozen demonstrators out of the Greek consulate, where they had threatened to set themselves on fire. Bonn - Protesters occupying the Greek embassy were believed to be holding one embassy worker hostage. In the Kenyan embassy, in nearby, two staff members were being held by protesters. Leipzig - Three travel agency workers were held by protesters in the building which houses the Greek consulate. They were freed unharmed when police stormed in. Stuttgart - Police stormed the Stuttgart embassy, arresting 27 protesters. Nobody was hurt. Outside the city, a 17-year-old Kurdish girl was taken to hospital with serious burns after setting herself ablaze. Frankfurt - Protestors overturned cars, prompting police to deploy water cannon and batons. Around 50 demonstrators occupied the consulate in the early hours of the morning. Hamburg - Police deployed water cannon against protesters in front of the Greek and British consulates. Berlin - Around 150 protesters broke into the Greek consulate and hung photos of Ocalan and the Kurdish flag in the windows. Cologne - 32 people were arrested after trying to occupy the Greek consulate. Duesseldorf - Demonstrators occupying the Greek consulate smashed the building's windows. Around 30 were arrested near the regional parliament. Hanover - Around 15 protesters occupied the Greek consulate and threw stones and other missiles at police. Moscow - Kurdish protesters left the Greek embassy around midday and gave themselves up to police. London - About 100 Kurdish demonstrators occupying the Greek embassy in London said they were prepared to burn themselves to death in support of Ocalan. Brussels - 50 Kurdish protesters occupied the Greek embassy, doused themselves with gas and threatened to set fire to themselves if they were removed. Vienna - Activists stormed the Greek and Kenyan embassies. Geneva - Over 20 demonstrators got into the main U.N. building by slipping through the gates as a truck entered. Berne - Demonstrators forced their way into the Greek embassy. Copenhagen - A Turkish woman set herself on fire at the Greek embassy and was fighting for her life in hospital. Forty-eight Kurdish protesters were arrested in the early hours of Tuesday when they stormed the embassy in Copenhagen. Stockholm - Police arrested 50 demonstrators after scffles in front of the Greek embassy. Milan - About 20 Kurds forced their way into the Greek consulate and briefly held the consul hostage before leaving the building 4 hours later. Yerevan - Kurdish protesters briefly occupied the U.N. office but left after police reinforcements arrived. ©1999 Reuters Limited. All Rights Reserved.

In a desperate bid for international attention, Kurds from Moscow to London launched demonstrations and takeovers of Greek diplomatic posts in more than a dozen cities, reports CBS News Correspondent Randall Pinkston.

At least three demonstrators set themselves on fire in Europe Tuesday, and dozens more threatened mass suicides. In Turkey itself, two people set themselves ablaze, including a Kurdish prisoner who died of his wounds.

In London, police surrounded 200 demonstrators after some of their allies barricaded themselves inside the Greek Embassy. Three hostages were held, including the wife and 8-year-old child of the Greek ambassador.

In Vienna, Kurds seized the Greek and Kenyan embassies, and took the Greek ambassador and four others hostage at the Greek mission, police said. The ambassador was unharmed and in telephoncontact with the Greek president, who is visiting Austria, the Austria Press Agency said.

There was skirmishing throughout Germany, where police struggled to control protesters. Kurds took control of diplomatic compounds in at least six German cities: Berlin, Bonn, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Hamburg and Duesseldorf.

Germany is home to 400,000 Kurds, the largest Kurd population in Europe.

Kurds also occupied Greek diplomatic buildings in Marseilles, France; Stockholm, Sweden; and Zurich, Switzerland.

Around 40 protesters occupied the Greek Embassy in Moscow for several hours, leaving voluntarily after negotiations with the ambassador, the Russian news agency Interfax reported.

In Brussels, police used water cannons to cool down demonstrators after 50 Kurds invaded the Greek Embassy, doused themselves with gasoline, and threatened to set themselves on fire if police tried to force them out.

The demonstrators are blaming the West for decades of suffering, going back to 1920, when a treaty promised the Kurds their own independent country which did not come about because a Turkish leader did not want it.

©1999 CBS Worldwide Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report