Anti-WTO protests in Geneva turned violent on Saturday as demonstrators smashed hotel and shop windows and set fire to cars. Swiss police in riot gear fired tear gas and rubber bullets at those responsible for the damage.

An estimated 3,000 people had turned out for a peaceful march to air their grievances about an upcoming meeting of the World Trade Organization. They carried signs through the streets saying "Stop Capitalism, No WTO," "WTO is enemy of the climate" and "We will not sell our souls to the multinationals."

According to police spokesman Patrick Puhl, Saturday's event took a turn for the worse when some 200 protestors "began to inflict damage right from the start of the demonstration."

Violent protesters also damaged parked vehicles, particularly luxury cars, with at least four being set on fire, said Puhl.

One young protester dressed as a vampire told AFP he "understood people's anger as the crisis had hit them very hard" while an elderly woman said that global economic turmoil gave people "plenty to be angry about."

Organizers decided to call off the protests due to the violence and because they had been barred by police from marching to the WTO headquarters, the Swiss ATS news agency reported.

Entry denied

Meanwhile, three South Koreans were refused entry into Switzerland to attend the protest after being accused of violent behavior at previous demonstrations.

Dosuk Han, head of the Korean League of Small Farmers, as well as Kangsil Lee and Jejoon Ju from a campaign group for farmers were being held at the Geneva airport on Saturday, protest organizers said in a statement.

Yoon Geum Sum, of the Korean Women Peasant Association, one of at least 40 groups organizing protests, said the three had been stripped and body-searched.

"This is a violation of human rights and a criminalization of social movements. Our demand is their immediate release and an apology from the Swiss government," she said in a statement.

Next week's WTO meeting of more than a hundred ministers will be the first in four years. It will also mark the 10th anniversary since the Seattle meeting, where anti-capitalism protesters staged violent street riots.

vj/AP/AFP/Reuters/dpa

Editor: Kyle James