Prague

There was a mixture of phenomenal nonviolent resistance and media-friendly, cop-scary violence in the Czech capital. Media around the globe reported how policemen were set on fire with molotov cocktails and that the beautiful cobblestones of Prague were hurled at police.

More than 65 people, including one Japanese and one Russian delegate to the conference, were injured in the clashes. Over a hundred demonstrators, drawn from all over the world, were arrested. More than 12,000 Czech police were backed up by Scotland Yard and FBI helpers.

The IMF and World Bank discussions were finished a day early, unwilling to endure the pressure of the protests any longer.

A ‘counter summit’ was organised by a coalition of Czech environmental, human rights and anarchist groups, called Inpeg, Initiative Against Economic Globalisation. 10 days of non-violent demonstrations in the city took place, culminating on the 26th. On the preceding Saturday a 1,000 activists blocked the centre of Prague, Jubilee 2000 organised a mass funeral march and nazis and anarchists clashed at a metro train station.

Special trains were laid on for delegates, who could still not avoid being affected by their besiegers.

“The centre has been cut off. All roads (accessible by cars) are blocked by protesters," said the congress centre's traffic and security officer Lubomir Brychta. Those inside the conference were not allowed to leave at all.

At one point protesters stormed a hotel just across the road from the congress centre. Financiers and journalists were pelted with stones until police punched them back with dogs and truncheons. Protesters also briefly blockaded the delegates again at a gala reception north of Prague's city centre.

During the night, windows were smashed, along with a limousine.

Elsewhere thousands of protesters would sit down and chant ‘No violence, no violence’.

A train with thousands of activists and four considered ‘non-desirable’ was blocked at the Czech border, but after protests was allowed into Prague before the 26th. A contingent of 75 cyclists from Germany had also been temporarily blocked.

It is interesting that there is an international list of “persona non grata”, drawn up by a pool of police and home ministers, co-ordinated by the governments of the various countries on the payroll of international crime.