Thousands of farm activists and union workers have clashed with police in South Korea where leaders of 21 Pacific Rim economies are meeting for a two-day Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit.
Organisers had hoped as many as 100,000 would attend planned rallies today, but only about 2,000 farmers and farm activists and 3,000 union workers made it. They said police turned back bus-loads of people on highways before they reached Pusan.
Some 30,000 police officers are on duty in the city of 3.7 million people.
US President Bush is at the summit where he will hold talks on the Doha round of World Trade Organization (WTO) talks and preparations for the threat of an avian influenza pandemic.
Mr Bush met Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin this morning; the two discussed
Iranian and North Korean nuclear issues as well as the situation in Syria.
Top of the Apec agenda is how to advance talks on the Doha trade round, which have stalled over the EU's refusal to make further cuts in import tariffs on farm goods without offers from developing countries of more market access.
Agencies