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Posted: 11:05 AM Apr 25, 2009
Protesters, Police Clash Near IMF Meetings in DC
More than 100 protesters upset with the way world leaders have handled the economic crisis clashed with police Saturday outside the International Monetary Fund and World Bank meetings.
Reporter: Nafeesa Syeed AP |
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2 Comments 
WASHINGTON (AP) - More than 100 protesters upset with the way
world leaders have handled the economic crisis clashed with police
Saturday outside the International Monetary Fund and World Bank
meetings.
Authorities used batons and pepper spray when activists tried to march onto a prohibited street, and several people were pushed to
the ground by police. The protesters swarmed officers unexpectedly,
and police had to respond, said D.C. police Capt. Jeffrey Harold.
A 22-year-old man accused of using pepper spray on an officer during the scuffle was arrested, D.C. police said. Before the demonstrations began, police arrested six people and accused them of vandalizing two banks, an incident that authorities think was linked to the protests.
Protesters claimed police responded without warning.
"This was very excessive," said the Rev. Don Thompson, 73, who
was observing the protest on behalf of the National Lawyers Guild.
"They didn't give us a warning to get off the street."
Thompson was knocked to the ground as police pushed activists
backward near an IMF building. His elbow was scraped and bleeding.
Two demonstrators were taken to a hospital with minor injuries, said D.C. fire department spokesman Billy Hayes.
Earlier, demonstrators tried to block three intersections, including an area near hotels where they said meeting delegates were staying. But in each case, the protesters were steered back to the sidewalk by police.
Nicole Davis, 22, of Washington, who participated in one of the morning blockades outside a hotel, said police physically lifted her and nine other protesters and moved them from the street to the sidewalk.
Davis said IMF and World Bank policies are hurting the poor.
"Capitalism clearly is not working," Davis said. "I think there needs to be a different system."
The IMF is a Washington-based lending institution that monitors the global economy, warns of impending crises and provides financial and technical advice to its 185 member nations.
(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Latest Comments
Bob is right -the protests will spark tax revolts soon, the NWO exists, -soon the preisdent will call martial law over the swine flu. Jay Rockefeller will shut down the internet as we know it...they are already pushing bills for firearms confiscation- just google henry kissenger telling the russians that ALL guns will be confiscated by SEPT 2009 -good luck HANK!. people can believe what ever they want, if they aren't prepared they will become wards of the state in this next great night of long knives...the elites are behind this, and everyone in office since 1963 has been a CFR member...google it while you still can. current CFR members... ~Fitzy in Pa
Unconsitutional free speech zones, that keep people from having their veiws seen by the people who are the target of their protest, police have a cattle run now to beat and sprey protesters, None of this was shown on national news. The problem of mass riots will come to this country soon, as the economy accelerates into a full collapse, as is in Europe. There will be no covering them up. As America will see police abuse and media cover ups and trans-parant propagand demonizing the ordainary people will create a huge back lash, upon both police and media, people are not a stupid as you think. Americans need to blame the real crimminals in goverment who are subjects of a diabolical group of Elites, Bankers and politicians who brought this down on Us and the other countrys of the world. New World Order is real and the engine for all the worlds troubles, and is a real agenda just listen to the G 20 summit leaders calling for it. Wake up before its to late,
