Washington: US police threw up a major security cordon around downtown Washington on September 26 to head off threatened anti-globalisation demonstrations around a rich countries' summit.

Finance Ministers from the Group of Seven industrial powers are to meet in Washington on September 27 ahead of the annual meetings of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and World Bank at the weekend.

Demonstrators from radical groups who brought havoc to a World Trade Organisation (WTO) summit in Seattle in November 1999 have vowed to stop the top officials getting around Washington for the key meetings this weekend. But it is unclear how much strength the protesters have. Early actions have failed to bring large numbers and protests may fall short of the 20,000 demonstrators for which police are preparing.

Washington police chief Charles Ramsey said the IMF and World Bank headquarters would be sealed off starting late September 26 before the arrival of some 8,000 delegates from the 184 member states.

The G-7 Finance Ministers will meet late September 27 in a building near the White House, near the international finance institution buildings.

Traffic is expected to be disrupted by a bicycle protest against "Big Oil" early September 27.

Several other surprise protests are also expected, and police have urged the public to take public transport instead of drive their cars into the US capital. Many major firms have told staff to take a day off on September 27 and some museums will close until September 29.