Anti-TPP protest turns violent in Auckland

A protest in downtown Auckland on Saturday turned violent as police were outnumbered by protesters seeking to disrupt Trans Pacific Partnership (TPP) trade talks at the SkyCity convention center. Police said violence broke out when protesters tried to force their way into the building at about 3 p.m., Radio New Zealand reported. A police spokesperson, Kerry Watson, said a fire was started in the middle of the street by protesters, who tried to feed the flames with cardboard boxes, and officers were attacked as they helped clear a path for the Fire Service. Police said two people were arrested, one of them a female who had stomped on the constable's head. The rest of the protesters then moved off to Aotea Square. The TPP negotiations began in 2007 and delegates from 11 countries have been meeting this week's in Auckland in the latest round of talks. The protesters said the deal threatens New Zealand's right to make its own laws.