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Thousand protest against G20 summit in Toronto

(Agencies)
Updated: 2010-06-27 09:03

TORONTO - Protesters violently clashed with police here on Saturday afternoon, and left at least two arrested and three injured, only a few hours before opening of the G20 summit opening.

Demonstrators fill the streets during a protest against the G20 Summit in downtown Toronto June 26, 2010. [Agencies]

More than 10,000 protesters walked on the streets of Toronto as part of a massive anti-G20 protest. The protesters smashed shop windows in the downtown core, burned two police cars and tear gas was used by police at one site.

Miller told media on Thursday that he was confident to say that the Toronto G20 summit would be a"safe"one. Canada has spent more than 1.2 billion Canadian dollars on security of the summit.

The G20 security zone was put on lockdown as well as several other locations including the Eaton Centre shopping center, Sick Kids Hospital and Toronto General Hospital.

The shopping mall of Eaton Center is only two blocks away from the intersection of Bay and Adelaide, where protest turned into a riot.

Two police cruisers were lit ablaze as flames and black smoke billowed into the air. Sparks flew into the air from small explosions. Firefighters finally arrived after about 15 minutes.  

Tear gas was used to disperse the protesters. "I could hardly remember when it (tear gas) was use last time in Toronto," Laura Gao, a fast food shop owner told Xinhua. She witnessed the whole process.    

A Xinhua photographer also witnessed a roadside Starbucks store smashed by some protesters.