London - British riot police scuffled with protesters in London yesterday during a demonstration against the opening of the World Trade Organisation (WTO) ministerial conference in Seattle, Washington.
About 1,000 people had gathered near the Euston railway station in the north of the city brandishing banners with slogans such as "Privatisation kills, capitalism kills".
Several protesters wearing balaclavas split off to confront the police, throwing bricks, bottles and sticks. The police reacted by trying to disperse the crowd.
There were fears that the groups which organised the rally were trying to reproduce a violent demonstration they held in June, in which substantial damages were caused to London's financial centre.