Thousands protest ahead of G20 summit in Seoul

SEOUL - Thousands of anti-globalisation protesters rallied in Seoul Sunday against a summit of the world’s leading economies taking place in the South Korean capital this week.

Organisers said 40,000 people took part in the protest against the Group of 20 (G20) meeting, but police put the figure at half of that.

Television footage showed scuffles between riot police and demonstrators in Town Hall Square. Police used pepper spray to disperse a group that tried to march through the town centre.

The protesters chanted slogans against the Nov 11-12 gathering of world leaders and carried banners reading “We are the G20.”

Other slogans were directed against a free-trade agreement singed between host nation South Korea and the US.

Unions and non-governmental organisations who organised the protest accuse the G20 nations of failing to take measures to create jobs and making poorer countries pay for the financial crisis that brought the global economy to its knees two years ago.

The G20 will be taking place amid heavy security, with some 50,000 police officers mobilised to protect delegates against terrorist threats and clamp down on angry protesters.