S. African Police Fire At Protesters

South African police fired at a handful of Muslim protesters Friday, minutes before British Prime Minister Tony Blair arrived for a scheduled event, witnesses said. One journalist was wounded.

Blair was not hurt and proceeded with the event in downtown Cape Town, the awarding of medals to British soldiers who are assisting the South African military.

Police had ordered the demonstrators to disperse, then opened fire with shotguns loaded with birdshot and tear gas on those who did not leave, the witnesses said.

One South African journalist working for the South African Broadcasting Corp. was wounded in the legs and was taken to a hospital. There were unconfirmed reports some protesters were also hit, but that could not immediately be confirmed.

The shootings occurred outside the Castle, a monument in downtown Cape Town.

Members of a Cape Town group called Muslims Against Global Oppression on Thursday began protesting last month's U.S.-British attack on Iraq.

The protesters burned U.S., British and Israeli flags on Thursday and clashed with police. They vowed to dog Blair during his stay in Cape Town, where he arrived Friday.

Security was tight around the British leader as he arrived in Cape Town's airport this morning.

About 30 men and women, some wearing Islamic scarves, waved placards at the airport condemning Blair's visit. "Death to Blair" read one, while another said: "Tony go home."

However, that demonstration was peaceful. Blair, arriving from Johannesburg during the third day of his visit, bypassed the demonstration by taking another route.

Blair's visit is aimed at cementing political and economic ties between Britain and its former colony.

Britain plans to increase spending on aid and development in South Africa by 40 percent over the next three years, for a total of $148 million over the period.

Blair has also said his government will try to push through a European Union-South African free-trade pact, which has stalled over Spanish and Portuguese demands that South Africa refrain from marketing locally produced fortified wines as port and sherry.