EU LEADERS MEET WHILE HUNDREDS PROTEST

Fri Mar 15, 2002



BARCELONA, Spain (Reuters) - Spanish riot police lashed out at anti-capitalist protesters outside an EU summit on Friday as European leaders argued about easing state regulation of their economies in a bid to match America's global dynamism.

Hundreds of young activists who accuse their governments of selling out to global big business ran from baton-swinging officers as they tried to gather in Barcelona's downtown port area, several miles from where EU leaders were meeting within the fortress-like confines of a suburban congress center. Though the first flare-up of violence was quickly quelled, some 8,500 police remained on alert as darkness fell, wary of a repeat of rioting at an international summit in July at Genoa in which a young Italian, Carlo Giuliani, was shot dead by police.

"Carlo vive!" (Carlo lives) yelled some young activists as they ran down Barcelona's historic Ramblas Avenue. Police said they detained 24 people for minor offences.

The summit was protected by Spanish fighter jets.