Protesters arrested at U.S. embassy in Slovenia LJUBLJANA, June 16 (Reuters) - Some 500 anti-globalization protesters staged a peaceful demonstration in the Slovenian capital on Saturday as U.S. President George W. Bush and Russian President Vladimir met in a nearby castle. Large numbers of riot police prevented the protesters, most of them Slovenians, from marching on the historic city centre. Police helicopters circled overhead. Earlier, police arrested 22 Greenpeace activists during a 20-minute protest outside the U.S. embassy in Ljubljana. A Reuters reporter saw two activists led away by police after they scaled the embassy fence and tried to replace the U.S. flag with a banner reading "Stop Star Wars," a reference to U.S. plans to deploy a missile defence shield. The remaining protesters, wearing the dinstinctive white overalls of the environmental protection organisation, were arrested on the street soon afterwards. The Slovenian Interior Ministry said the police had detained 12 Austrians, six Slovaks, two Britons, a Czech and a Spaniard. They were expected to be released later on Saturday. The incident passed off peacefully but a strong force of police in riot gear took up position outside the embassy after the 20-minute protest. Slovenia has mounted its largest-ever security operation for the Bush-Putin meeting, at which U.S. missile defence plans and Washington's rejection of the Kyoto treaty on global warming were set to be among the major issues. The two leaders met outside Ljubljana at a 16th century hilltop castle in Brdo pri Kranju. They were scheduled to hold a joint news conference after their talks. 11:05 06-16-01 STOP NOVOM SVETSKOM PORETKU ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?bUrBE8.bVKZIq Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
