D6 - Demos in Nice (fwd)
MichaelP
Agence France Presse
Wednesday, December 6 10:45 PM SGT
Tens of thousands stage "euro demo" in Nice ahead of EU summit
NICE, France, Dec 6 (AFP) -
Tens of thousands of trade unionists and anti-globalisation campaigners
demonstrated through the streets of Nice Wednesday in a show of strength
aimed at government leaders about to assemble here for a crucial European
summit.
Protesters from all over France were joined by others from neighbouring
countries in a march organised by the European Confederation of Unions
(CES), and set off in a light drizzle behind a banner reading "For a
Europe of employment and social rights."
Anti-globalisation campaigners, championed by French farmers' activist
Jose Bove, were waiting to take part in a second, separate march down the
same route. They refused to join the trade unionists because of
differences over their demands.
A total of 60,000 people were expected to demonstrate during the day.
Thousands of police, many in riot gear, steered the demonstration away
from the Acropolis centre in the heart of Nice, where leaders of the EU's
15 member countries meet from Thursday and hope to reach a deal on
restructuring the Union to allow in more members.
"We are here so that the heads of state make socially conscious decisions,
after years of making economic decisions without considering the social
ramifications," said Bernard Thibault, head of the French CGT trade union,
at the start of the protest.
European leaders are due to discuss the "Treaty of Nice," a package of
reforms designed to enable the Union to keep working as it adds up to 13
new member states from eastern Europe and the Mediterranean in the coming
years.
As well as unions and anti-globalisation groups, the protests were to
feature human rights organisations and even the French extreme-right
during separate actions.
Farmers' acitivist Bove has become something of a global folk hero after
his earlier involvement in similar protests in Seattle, during a World
Trade Organisation meeting, and in Prague, during the annual meetings of
the World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
Hundreds of early arrivals strolled through the city streets earlier
Wednesday, taking pictures and relaxing under a light rain ahead of the
marches.
More than 4,500 police have been mobilised to patrol the streets, guard
hotels and ensure security at the Acropolis conference centre.
But in a swipe at the protesters converging on this tourist haven on the
French Riviera, Mayor Jacques Peyrat said the city would not provide
accommodation and food for the demonstrators, saying he had a full plate
in ensuring the summit went smoothly.
"People have the right to demonstrate," he said. "But it is not my job to
give them food and housing.
"We received a special subsidy to welcome the heads of state and my job is
to make sure they are able to work in peace."
The government tightened border controls with Italy to try to spot
potential troublemakers, the interior ministry said.
Also on Wednesday, a number of groups including European Green parties,
Amnesty International and Medecins du Monde, will stage a series of public
debates, while on Thursday another march is planned by anti-globalisation
campaigners to mark the official start of the summit.
France's far-right National Front party -- a fierce opponent of European
integration -- has also asked its supporters to turn out Thursday, but
local authorities rejected its request for a permit to demonstrate.
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