Chilean anti-riot police fired water-cannon and tear gas at bands of stone-throwing, masked protesters in a massive rally against a major Asia-Pacific summit and its star guest US President George W. Bush.
  
Tens of thousands of anti-corporate globalisation activists had marched peacefully in the police-authorised demonstration through Santiago ahead of a weekend Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit.
  
But as the procession culminated with a concert in a central park, small knots of masked protesters destroyed telephone cabins, smashed lamps and lobbed stones at police and through the windows
of a closed McDonalds restaurant.
  
Military-style police in armoured cars responded with water and tear gas, scattering people in the park. Organisers halted the concert.
  
Only moments earlier, there had been a near carnival-like atmosphere with families, children and young people rallying under tight police supervision.
  
During a procession, scantily clad girls had danced the samba alongside a Brazilian beating drums, painted indigenous Mapuche people, two beauty queens, one them a transvestite, and Amnesty
International activists with the Palestinian flag.
  
"No violence allowed here," read one banner.
  
"Bush terrorist, assassin," read another.
  
Four or five floats made to look like tanks rolled along. An eagle made of plastic sheeting dragged plastic bottles behind it, the creation of the "Interesting Patriotic Theatre Group", which said it represented the eagle of imperialism turning everything into garbage.
  
Fifteen people walked in silence blindfolded.
  
Antonia, 15, said: "These are the blindfolds they put over our eyes so we don't see the reality and exploitation."
  
Military-style police, with helmets and plastic shields, took action hours earlier as young radicals tried to gather for a separate, unauthorised march.
  
They fired tear gas and water cannon as the protesters tried to cluster in the sidestreets and main Alameda boulevard, not far from where APEC leaders, including Bush, will huddle at the weekend.
  
Security forces hauled some of the 40 protesters into buses.
  
"This gathering is not authorised. Go away," a loudspeaker blared from an armoured car fitted with water cannon. Protesters cast stones at the police vehicles.
  
"No to APEC, No to Bush, No to capitalism," read one protest banner.
  
"No to rubbish pay," read another.
  
In an extraordinary clampdown, officials declared a citywide holiday, prompting a long-weekend exodus from Santiago.
  
More than 5,000 military-style police joined the security operation.