Protesters Converging on DC

The vanguard of what could be thousands of protesters began arriving in Washington, D.C., today for the start of week-long demonstrations they hope will shut down meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank.

``People are pouring in, and we're getting ready to hit the streets,'' said Laura Jones, a leader of one of the hundreds of groups planning the protests scheduled to lead up to the joint meetings on April 16-17 of the World Bank and IMF.

Organizers inspired by massive protests at last December's summit of the World Trade Organization in Seattle will stage marches, street theater and teach-ins, and form ``human chains'' to accuse the two lenders of pursuing policies that harm poor people and the environment.

The protest plans have prompted police in Washington to mobilize thousands of officers to guard against any repeat of the violence in Seattle. The scheduled demonstrations also have altered meeting preparations at the IMF and World Bank, which have told most of their employees to stay home on April 17.

The largest and most confrontational events are set for April 16, when thousands of people are expected for a downtown rally against the IMF and World Bank and others plan to engage in civil disobedience that's expected to result in arrests as demonstrators try to close down the groups' meetings.

(report filed by Paul Basken)