Special forces police personnel take cover 31 August, 2004 as they come under fire from barricaded peasants occupying the Nueva Linda ranch in the department of Retalhuleu, southern coast of Guatemala. At least seven people died -among them four police officers- and more than 20 were wounded when riot police violently evicted more than 2.000 peasants who illegaly occupied the Nueva Linda ranch, property of Spanish national Carlos Alejos. (Xinhua/AFP Photo Orlando SIERRA)

At least seven people died -among them four police officers- and more than 20 were wounded when riot police violently evicted more than 2.000 peasants who illegaly occupied the Nueva Linda ranch, property of Spanish national Carlos Alejos. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)

Peasants barricade the Nueva Linda ranch with branches in the department of Retalhuleu, southern coast of Guatemala. (Xinhua/AFP Photo)    

    MEXICO CITY, Aug. 31 (Xinhuanet) -- At least seven people were killed and 30 others injured on Tuesday in clashes between protesters and police in Guatemala, Interior Minister Carlos Vielmann said.

    Vielmann said the clashes happened when police tried to remove 1,800 landless farm workers from the Neuva Linda farm they had invaded in southern Guatemala on Tuesday morning. At least three policemen and four farm workers were killed.

    The invasion was sparked by a local radio report that the ownerof the farm was behind the killing of one of his employees last September.

    A local judge in the area of Retalhuleu, about 180 km southwestof the capital, ruled that the farm workers broke the law by invading private property. Police were dispatched to the farm to enforce the ruling. Enditem