protestors pelted riot police with eggs and attacked them with bamboo poles in fresh clashes saturday outside the world trade organization ministerial meeting in hong kong. dozens of south korean protestors launched the attack on police after a 2,000-strong march from the city)s victoria park to the convention and exhibition centre where the meeting is being held, the german news agency 'dpa' reported. helmeted police with riot shields used pepper spray foam to drive the demonstrators back and firemen helped them by directing water hoses on some of the protestors as the clashes escalated. the violence in a designated protest zone close to the venue was the first since the meeting)s opening days on tuesday and wednesday when south korean protestors also clashed with police. city centre roads were sealed off and christmas shoppers warned to stay out of central hong kong during the last two days of the ministerial meeting saturday and sunday. after two days of relatively peaceful protests, police said they had been expecting thousands of demonstrators at the last two days of the meeting, attended by 6,000 delegates from 149 member states. some 9,000 police have been mobilized to deal with an estimated 10,000 protestors from around the world who have descended on hong kong for the five-day ministerial meeting. --spa 13:07 local time 10:07 gmt nnnn
