Protests at EU finance summit

The protestors want ministers to take the issue of employment more seriously

LIEGE, Belgium -- Thousands of protestors waving flags marched through the east Belgian city of Liege ahead of a meeting of EU finance ministers.

The march began hours before ministers were due to discuss the consequences of last week's terrorist attacks in the U.S. on Europe's economy, along with preparations for the launch of the single European currency in January.

The protestors were mainly members of several different European trade unions. They gathered in a square near the meeting where union leaders called for the issue of employment to be given a higher priority.

They said about 200,000 jobs had been lost in Europe since January and called for the issue to be tackled by EU leaders at upcoming summits.

Police estimated the crowd at between 6,000 and 7,000 while union representatives said there were about 12,000, reported Reuters news agency.

One banner at the front of the procession read: "The euro is coming but not the jobs."

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Other placards declared: "End horror of capitalism," and one Spanish union banner read: "Yes to the euro, but above all jobs."

Helicopters flew overhead but the police presence was low-key when the march began, said Reuters.

Several non-governmental organisations were involved in the protest, including Attac - A French-based international unit campaigning for a tax on currency trading to fund the Third World.

A Belgian Attac representative, Julien Dohet, told Reuters that no violence was expected at what was intended to be a peaceful march.

This protest is the first major demonstration by anti-globalisation activists since the riots in Genoa at the G8 summit in July, where one protestor was shot dead by Italian police.

Belgian officials told Reuters they hope the shock of last week's attacks on the U.S. may avert violence during the meeting which is scheduled to continue into Saturday.

In the wake of violence at the G8 summit and the meeting of EU leaders in Gothenburg last June, Belgian finance minister Didier Reynders has said he will meet with delegations of protestors on Friday.

Activists are also holding a parallel summit amongst themselves on a nearby university campus to discuss an alternative European fiscal policy, whether full employment is a realistic goal and how to cancel Third World debt, said Reuters.