Protest turns violent as EU signs up new members

As anti-war protesters rioted in the streets of the city that gave birth to European democracy, the leaders of 25 nations gathered today to sign treaties sweeping away the 20th century’s Iron Curtain divide.

Meeting in the shadow of the ancient Acropolis, 10 nations will sign treaties joining the European Union – including eight former Communist countries cut off from their western neighbours until little more than a decade ago.

“The old continent of Europe is reunified under the principles of freedom and democracy,” Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar said in Athens.

The existing 15 EU nations are also striving to repair their own unity, badly frayed by differences over the war in Iraq.

Divided over the conflict, British Prime Minister Tony Blair, French President Jacques Chirac and the other leaders are seeking to present a united front on how to help post-war Iraq.

UN Secretary-general Kofi Annan joined the EU leaders, who have signalled their support for a strong UN role in post-war reconstruction – despite doubts from the United States.

“There is agreement, that in principle the United Nations must have a key role,” Mr Blair said yesterday after meeting German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder in Germany on the eve of the EU talks.

The signing ceremony will be held at the Agora’s Stoa of Attalos, a massive colonnaded monument at the foot of the Acropolis that was dedicated by King Attalos of Pergamon around 150 BC.

Thousands of anti-war demonstrators also crowded the streets near the signing ceremony, many clashing with police who fired tear gas to keep them away from where the leaders were gathered.

Shop and car windows were smashed as riots erupted and police chased hooded protesters through the streets.

The violence came after a group of protesters marching with about 3,000 demonstrators threw petrol bombs and red paint at riot squads, injuring one police officer. They also set fire to a bank.

After throwing rocks at the British embassy, some demonstrators tore up paving stones and hurled them at officers guarding the building.

More than 30 people were arrested. In addition to the injured policeman, one man was taken to hospital with a shard of glass in his eye.

The protest and march to the British and American embassies was one of several planned in the city and the number of demonstrators was expected to grow.

Police had feared the rallies would turn violent as protesters vent their anger at the presence of Mr Blair and other pro-war leaders, such as Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi and Aznar.

More than 10,000 police officers have been deployed for the two-day EU meeting, setting up a security cordon around the city centre and a nearby coastal resort where the leaders will dine.

EU leaders fear the rioting would detract from the historic resonance of the ceremony signing up Poland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Slovenia, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Cyprus and Malta.

The 10 will formally join on May 1, 2004, pending ratification of the treaties by referendums and parliament votes. The new members, however, will immediately take their seats as observers in the regular meetings that set EU policy.

“This Union represents our common determination to put an end to centuries of conflict and transcend former divisions,” the leaders said in a prepared statement.

Before the treaty signing, the leaders will turn their attention to the yearlong efforts to draft an EU constitution that sets out how the bloc will work after its expansion.

Leaders are split over how to share power between national governments and the EU’s central institutions.

The Athens talks will seek to overcome differences within a 105-member European convention which is supposed to present a draft constitutional text by June, for approval by the leaders when they hold their midyear summit in the northern Greek port of Thessaloniki.