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Article: Meacher blames Seattle police for riots
- Article from:
- The Independent (London, England)
- Article date:
- December 5, 1999
- Author:
CopyrightCopyright 1999 The Independent - London. Provided by ProQuest LLC. (Hide copyright information)
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MICHAEL MEACHER, the environment minister, has condemned the
Seattle police for their handling of the riots during the World Trade
Organisation talks, which collapsed in disarray causing the US
government embarrassment and a huge loss of international
credibility.
Mr Meacher, writing in The Independent on Sunday, complains that
heavy- handed policing was responsible for the escalation of protests
against the WTO. He places the blame for pitched battles in the
street, widespread violence and a 24-hour curfew on the city centre
squarely on the shoulders of the Seattle Police Department.
Mr Meacher, who was representing Britain at the ill-fated WTO
talks, writes: "What we hadn't reckoned with ...