100,000 at anti-Davos protest

www.guardian.co.uk AP in Porto Alegre Friday January 24, 2003 The Guardian

Around 100,000 anti-globalisation activists gathered last night for the World Social Forum in the southern Brazilian city of Porto Alegre for a six-day protest against the World Economic Forum taking place simultaneously at the Swiss ski resort of Davos.

Tens of thousands were expected to open the social forum with a march against a war on Iraq. In between protests, participants will hold talks on alternatives to tame the excesses of global capitalism.

The forum is now in its third year and Brazil's new leftwing president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, is to address the gathering on Friday. Venezuela's embattled president, Hugo Chavez, is expected to attend on Sunday. After the Brazilian leader speaks, he will fly to Davos to participate in the economic forum, which is expected to attract 2,000 business and government leaders.

Social forum participants say their opposition to American-style capitalism should strike a chord. The summit follows a year of unprecedented business scandals involving multinational corporations.

Prominent activists attending include the actor Danny Glover, and Aleida Guevara, the daughter of Ernesto "Che" Guevara.