Prague Protests Turn Violent

Sept. 26 -- There was blood on the streets of Prague today as police, enraged by the petrol bomb attacks, which set uniforms on fire, hit back with no holds barred.

Demonstrators gathered for the opening of the annual meetings of the World Bank and International Monetary were caught in increasingly violent clashes with the Czech police.

Eyewitnesses said anti-capitalism protesters threw cobblestones, bottles and least three homemade “Molotov cocktails” at a police cordon some 300 yards from the conference center.

Several policemen were set alight and colleagues hosed them down with a water cannon. The official injury toll has topped 30.

Two Americans were among those injured, according to the BBC.

An official at the Czech interior ministry said, “Dozens were injured on both sides.” The official added that only “a few” of the injured had been taken to hospital.

Ambulance sirens howled through largely deserted streets in the Czech capital, taking the injured to hospitals. Clouds of white tear-gas drifted above and among the protesters.

Police estimated 5,000 to 9,000 protesters had turned out for the opening of the three-day annual meetings.

Earlier, demonstrators threw stones at a McDonald’s outlet, cracking the glass door.

What the Protesters Want

The bulk of protesters had planned a peaceful sit-down and appealed for non-violence over loudspeakers, but Czech security officials said some are also believed to be from the hard-core anarchist scene.

The anarcho-group, often disguised by masks and helmets, is well known to most European police forces from soccer violence. They mainly come from Germany and Italy — with a small number from the United States and Britain.

Police sources said an Italian anarchist group “Ya Basta” appeared to be responsible for the worst incidents of violence. A train with 500 Italian demonstrators was held up at the Czech-Austria border Sunday, but was allowed to travel after a 17-