World Bank to Hold Meeting on Internet
The World Bank said it will hold a development conference over the Internet to avoid a threatened disruption of a meeting by anti-globalization protesters.
The annual conference had been scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain, June 25-27. Protesters from Spain and France had planned a parallel meeting, including a mock trial of the World Bank.
In announcing cancellation of the Barcelona meeting last month, Caroline Anstey, the bank’s chief spokeswoman, said, “A conference on poverty reduction should take place in a peaceful atmosphere free from heckling, violence and intimidation.”
The interactive online conference, a first for the bank, will take place Monday and Tuesday and feature live video feeds of development specialists.
Anti-globalization protesters demonstrated and clashed with police during meetings of the World Bank and its sister organization, the International Monetary Fund, during the spring and fall of 2000. Minor protests were staged at the two organizations’ meetings last April in Washington but there was no violence.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
