Thirteen people were arrested and five people were injured, one seriously, in clashes yesterday between police and anti-globalization protesters at an economic summit in the Austrian city of Salzburg, officials said today.
One demonstrator and four police officials were wounded during confrontations between stone-throwing protesters and baton-bearing police in the city yesterday , at the start of a three-day meeting organised by the World Economic Forum (WEF).
One of the police officers, who suffered concussion after being hit by a stone, was due to be discharged from hospital later today, Mr Harald Hoffmann, security spokesman for the Salzburg police, said.
The 13 arrested included five Austrians, three Germans, as well as Italian, Turkish, Congolese and Colombian nationals, said Mr Hoffmann, adding that all had been released from custody overnight.
The disruption finally calmed last night after negotiations between demonstrators and police officials concluded with the majority of the protesters being escorted to the city's railway station, where special trains were laid on to return them home.
Salzburg authorities are not expecting further violence at the meeting, which goes on until tomorrow, although police remain on stand-by in the city.
AFP