A total 243 people were detained in protests held today during a summit between the European Union and US President Mr George W. Bush, a Swedish police spokesman said.
Mr Bengt Staff, spokesman for the Gothenburg police, said the detentions took place during protests that kicked off early in the day involving demonstrations against global trade, global warming, missile defence and other issues ( Main points of EU/US joint statement).
There were sporadic clashes throughout the day between police and scores of young stone-throwing demonstrators but tight security kept larger protests under control as Mr Bush met EU leaders for a day of talks in his first such summit.
Around 12,000 demonstrators representing a variety of organisations marched through the centre of this southern Swedish port city and met in a central square but there were no reports of serious incidents at that rally.
But youths who massed in a public park several hundred yards away from the main demonstration ripped up cobble-stones and metal street signs and at several times in the day began throwing objects at well-protected police forces surrounding the park.
At least one police officer was lightly injured after being hit in the head with a rock, a police spokesman said.
Earlier in the day, around 3,000 Iranian dissidents brandishing flags and placards gathered in the square in a busy commercial district and several dozen supporters of the Falungong spiritual movement rallied in a park nearby.
Yesterday, five Danish nationals were arrested and material police said they planned to use in an attack during the summit was confiscated from them.
AFP