World News 01-12-1999 Riots In London & Seattle who: Mayor Paul Schell what: Declares state of emergency where: Seattle, Washington when: Yesterday snippet: "Seattle has declared a state of emergency and imposed an overnight curfew," reports Sky News this morning, "after a peaceful `fair-trade` demonstration erupted in violence and dissaray." 35,000 demonstrators flooded the streets yesterday as the conference of the World Trade Organisation was due to begin. Most were peaceful, linking arms to prevent delegates from entering the Conference Center. The demonstrators claim that the WTO, which holds a conference about once every ten years, uses corporate financial muscle to run roughshod over international environmental and health & safety laws. But a minority of extremists turned the demonstration into a riot. Seattle mayor Paul Schell called in the National Guard and tear gas and rubber bullets were used to suppress the crowd as shops were looted and set on fire. Meanwhile, in London, violence broke out at Euston Station last night during a demonstration in support of the Seattle protestors. "Several hundred demonstrators began attacking police and destroying property" reports The Independent. "A police van was overturned and set alight," explains The Express, more graphically, "and a wave of riot officers raised their shields and charged towards the protesters to force them away from the vehicle" [... more]

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