Dock workers protesting over seaport services clash with riot police

POLICE officers were injured and windows in the European Parliament smashed when a demonstration of up to 10,000 dock workers got out of control in Strasbourg yesterday.

Several of Europe’s largest ports were at a standstill for several hours as dockers took strike action against a proposal, to be debated in the Parliament today, which they say will kill off thousands of jobs, including about 10,000 in Ireland.

The violence was condemned by trade union leaders and MEPs including Dublin Labour MEP Proinsias de Rossa, who witnessed some incidents.