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GENEVA (AP) - Police with water cannon fired tear gas and rubber bullets Saturday to separate violent demonstrators from a protest opposing a meeting of top world trade officials, but the hooded "black bloc" activists were able to cause damage before 14 were arrested, spokesmen said.
The protesters set fire to at least four cars, broke shop windows and committed other acts of violence Saturday, police spokesman Patrick Puhl said.
Geneva Police Chief Monica Bonfati said officers arrested four looters in addition to the protesters. No injuries to police or protesters were reported, but an 80-year-old women lost her balance and fell, and had to be hospitalized, police said.
The clashes occurred during a march by demonstrators protesting a meeting of the World Trade Organization scheduled to start Monday, in which the United States, China and other commercial powers will spearhead a new attempt to find ways to revive world trade and drag the global economy out of recession.
Bonfati told Swiss television TSR that police were able at the beginning of the demonstration to identify about 200 members of the black bloc - violent elements that join other demonstrations to cause damage. She said they were spread out along the route and police had to separate them from the other protesters.
