300 held in France after anti-Nato protests

French police detained at least 300 anti-NATO demonstrators after violent clashes ahead of a two-day summit to mark the alliance’s 65th anniversary.

A total of 107 people were still being held today after riot police used tear gas and rubber bullets to force hundreds of demonstrators off the streets of Strasbourg last night and back into a tent camp on the edge of the city. Under French law they can be held for up to 48 hours before being formally charged.

Demonstrators destroyed telephone booths and attempted to build barricades before they were stopped, according to police.

Strasbourg was calm this morning, but the streets were virtually deserted as unauthorised traffic is forbidden in many parts of the city.

Schools and the university were closed, and most businesses and restaurants shut for the duration of the summit.

Tens of thousands of demonstrators have descended on Strasbourg and two south-western German towns to protest the cross-border NATO summit.

Twenty-eight world leaders will attend, including US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

In a bid to prevent violence, France has temporarily reinstated border controls with its immediate neighbours for the meeting.

German authorities estimate that up to 25,000 protesters will take part in several demonstrations in the German cities of Baden-Baden and Kehl, while France’s interior minister has suggested 30,000 to 40,000 ultimately could arrive in Strasbourg, where a camp has been set up.

German and French police said 2,000 to 3,000 members of the violence-prone “black block” – so-called for the black clothes and hoods they wear – are expected.

Some 15,000 German police – including 31 riot squads – and 9,000 French police will be on hand for the summit.

Protest organisers called for peaceful demonstrations to highlight their complaints, including anti-war, anti-globalisation, anti-capitalist and disarmament platforms.