Noisy Protests Expected at World Financial Meeting

Noisy Protests Expected at World Financial Meeting

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Thousands of demonstrators wielding whistles, drums, pots and pans are expected to protest in Washington this weekend against the policies of world financial leaders holding semi-annual meetings in the city.

Mobilization for Global Justice, an activist group based in Washington, is planning a demonstration outside the World Bank (news - web sites) and International Monetary Fund (news - web sites) headquarters during the meetings on Saturday.

Organizers said on Friday they expected thousands of demonstrators for the rally, modeled after Latin American "cacerolazo" pot-banging demonstrations.

Police massed at several sites around Washington on Friday in advance of the meetings, although they and the protest organizers expect the demonstrations to be peaceful and smaller than past raucous and sometimes violent anti-globalization protests in cities such as Seattle, Genoa and Washington.

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