Tuesday, December 13 2005 20:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Hong Kong: Several dozen protesters, including Indians, struck security forces with bamboo sticks and tried to ram through a police roadblock today (Dec 13, 2005) as the World Trade Organization began meeting in Hong Kong.

Riot police with helmets and shields fended off the protesters with pepper spray a few blocks away from WTO's meeting venue near downtown Hong Kong. The scuffle lasted about a half-hour and died down as police reinforcements arrived.

It wasn't immediately clear if there were any injuries, but the pepper spray left several demonstrators staggering in pain and rubbing their eyes as other protesters poured bottled water on their faces.

The protesters, who were mainly South Koreans and also included Japanese, Indian, Filipino and Brazilian farmers, also burned a coffin that was used as a protest prop during a street march that began earlier in the afternoon. The farmers fear that if their domestic agricultural markets are opened up under a new WTO treaty, they won't be able to compete and possibly lose their livelihoods and land.

Before the clash, dozens of the South Korean farmers jumped into Victoria Harbor wearing orange life jackets and tried to swim a few 100 meters along the coast to the WTO venue. They chanted slogans and punched their fist in the air while they swam, and one carried a South Korean flag. Police intercepted them before they reached the venue.

Police spent several months preparing for violent protests that have become a tradition at WTO meetings in recent years.