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Low-key protests on Day 1 of World Economic Forum

Low-key protests marked the opening day of the World Economic Forum in New York, with only a handful of arrests taking place.

The largest protest on a cold rain-soaked day was by 1000 people along the Fifth Avenue which houses upscale stores. However, these protests never threatened to assume the dimension of anti-globalisation rallies in Seattle (WTO summit in 1999) or Italy (G8 summit in Genoa in 2001).

But members of Falun Gong, banned in China, participated in mass exercises before dispersing peacefully.

A major demonstration is planned for Friday, but leaders of protestors reaffirmed that they would peacefully express their views against the Forum, which they consider to be a meeting of the rich to find ways to become richer at the expense of the poor.

Police, which has adopted a zero tolerance policy against law-breakers, on Thursday, arrested seven people belonging to ACT UP, (AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) while they were trying to put up two massive banners in Manhattan.

The banners demanded that corporations pay for the treatment of tens of thousands of HIV-positive workers they employ in poor nations and condemned US President George W Bush's "measly contribution" in fighting the disease globally.

"Corporations would rather wring their hands and count the bodies than provide treatment for their HIV-positive employees in South Africa and India, " said Sharonann Lynch, one of those detained.

Police have closed areas around the Waldorf-Astoria hotel where the five-day conference is being held. Organisers did not even allow journalists to attend the meetings and panel discussions citing lack of space.

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