Anti-WTO protesters march through Hong Kong.

By John Ruwitch....

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Several thousand anti-globalisation protesters marched through Hong Kong on Sunday shouting "down with WTO!" and waving colourful banners ahead of this week's World Trade Organisation meeting.

The protest was the first of a flurry of demonstrations planned over the next few days against the trade body of nearly 150 rich and poor countries, whose ministers are meeting in Hong Kong from December 13 to 18 to try to lower trade barriers and lift millions out of poverty.

Organisers said about 4,000 protesters marched on Sunday, waving signs reading "Junk the WTO" and "Rice is life. Life is not for sale" in a carnival atmosphere in the shade of skyscrapers in one of the world's main financial centres.

Police estimated the crowd at about 3,200.

Hong Kong is bracing for potential violence as about 10,000 anti-globalisation activists converge on the southern Chinese city for the trade meeting. About 9,000 police have been mobilised in the city's biggest ever security operation.

"This has been a successful protest and a very peaceful one. The biggest source of violence is from the WTO," said Elizabeth Tang, head of the Hong Kong Peoples' Alliance on WTO, which was co-ordinating the demonstrations.

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