Anarchists, peace protesters and left-wing activists marched through Copenhagen today, rallying against "EU and US imperialism" the day after the European Union struck a historic expansion deal.
Riot police were on standby as about 4,000 demonstrators joined the rally, waving banners saying "Yes to democracy. No to the EU" and chanting "the EU has got to go," accusing the bloc of being under the control of big business.
The protest took place as European leaders were heading home after striking an accord to expand the EU to 25 members, taking in 10 new countries from the former communist eastern Europe and the Mediterranean.
The protest was the biggest demonstration timed to coincide with the summit, which thousands of anti-globalisation and other protesters had threatened to disrupt.
Denmark had deployed more than half its national police force to protect the landmark summit amid fears of clashes with protesters, in the largest security operation in the country since World War II.
Addressing protesters in front of the Danish parliament, before the demonstration moved off, Ms Kirsten Bugge, from the Norwegian grandmothers for peace movement, criticised an EU that had enlarged, "but without becoming more democratic."
The 76-year-old had come to protest "the culpable silence of the European Union," in US preparations for war in Iraq.
Other peace activists waved banners reading: "We say stop the war" and "food not bombs," chanting slogans against US President George W. Bush and appealing for war against Iraq to be averted.
About 50 activists were arrested during the two-day meeting but there were no major incidents.
Police chief Kaj Vittrup welcomed the calm behaviour of demonstrators.
AFP