Friday, June 04, 2004

In Miami: Law enforcement officers who turned Miami into a police state during November's Free Trade Area of the Americas talks violated people's basic rights and tarnished the city's reputation, a citizens panel said in a bluntly worded report now under review.

In Genoa: A series of hearings into the police response to the protests is set to start on 26 June and is expected to continue into July. The panel will examine a night-time raid on a school where many protesters were staying. A number of protesters say the police beat them in their sleep, while local media the next day showed pictures of blood-stained walls, smashed computers and windows.