Protesters Mark End of Brazil's World Social Forum

www.voanews.com VOA News 28 Jan 2003, 13:41 UTC

Anti-globalization activists attending the World Social Forum in Brazil have held a final demonstration to close out the six-day event.

Thousands of activists from around the world rallied in Porto Alegre Monday to protest against a proposed hemispheric free trade zone stretching from Canada to Argentina. Demonstrators said it will strangle South American economies. Activists also protested against possible military action in Iraq.

Organizers say as many as 100,000 people attended the six-day forum, covering topics that included corporate corruption and the developing world's foreign debt.

The forum is designed to coincide with the World Economic Forum being held at the same time in Davos, Switzerland.

New Brazilian leftist President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and American actor Danny Glover were among those who attended the World Social Forum.