Clashes between Copenhagen police and young protestors
demonstrating continued overnight into Sunday, but did not escalate
into the full-scale riots of the two previous nights.
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Media reports said small groups of protesters continued to throw
rocks at police and set fire to trash bins and barricades
overnight, but there was no fresh big-scale violence.
Denmark's worst street violence in 14 years began on Thursday when
an anti-terror squad evicted squatters from a youth center in
Copenhagen's Noerrebro district.
Dozens of leftist sympathizers from neighboring countries joined
teenage demonstrators, who threw petrol bombs and stones at riot
police.
Police said a total of 634 people, including 140 foreigners from
Europe and the United States, have been arrested since the clashes
started. And about 26 people were reportedly wounded during the
unrest.
Neighborhood groups called for an end to the violence, while
curious tourists ventured into battle-scarred streets to snap
pictures of charred car wrecks and cohorts of riot police.
Sunday, there were clear signs that local residents were getting
fed up with the violence. About 40 wreaths of flowers and lit
candles had been placed in front of the police barricades by the
Youth House, and two community groups had placed flyers throughout
the area calling for an end to the protests.
"There is only victim in this violent inferno: the residents of
Noerrebro," the fliers said, followed by a clear message to the
rioters: "You are not welcome."
Built in 1897, the Youth House was a community theater for the
labor movement and a culture and conference center; Vladimir Lenin
was among its visitors. In recent years, it has hosted concerts
with performers like Australian musician Nick Cave and Icelandic
singer Bjork.
The eviction had been planned since last year, when courts
ordered the squatters to hand the building over to a Christian
congregation that bought it six years ago.
The squatters refused to leave, saying the city had no right to
sell the building.
(Xinhua News Agency March 5, 2007)
