Hundreds of protesters hurled fire-bombs and stones at police Monday as they tried to reach the conference center where NATO leaders were meeting.
| Hmmm... Sounds like peace protesters to me... |
Police used tear gas and water cannons to stop the crowd, and dozens of people were injured. The clashes took place in two Istanbul neighborhoods about two miles from a barricaded zone in the center of the city where the NATO leaders were meeting. The leaders include President Bush, British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac. In central Ankara, meanwhile, a security camera exploded in front of a defense ministry building, shattering some windows but causing no injuries, police said. News reports at first said it was concussion grenade but police ruled that out, saying the blast wasn't the result of an attack. Leftist groups have carried out several similar bombings in the runup to the summit. In the Istanbul protests, 26 police officers and about 20 civilians were injured in the protests, officials said.
| ... and a wonderful time was had by all... |
In the most violent protest, in Istanbul's Okmeydani neighborhood, about 2,000 demonstrators flipped cars over and hurled firebombs at police. Police fired water cannons and tear gas at the protesters and beat some with clubs. An armored personnel carrier moved through the street where small fires burned. Another crowd of protesters gathered nearby and threw rocks at police who used pepper spray to disperse the group. Police said 44 protesters were detained, the Anatolia news agency reported. |