Hundreds march against third world debt

Jubilee 2000 want the debt chain broken completely

By Economics correspondent Andrew Walker in Prague

A group of protestors have been marching through Prague calling for the cancellation of the debts of the world's poorest countries.

The protest was organised by the campaign group Jubilee 2000 to coincide with the main ministerial policy-making committee of the IMF which is also underway in Prague.

Jubilee 2000 says thousands of civilians die every day from debt burden

The organisers called the first stage of the protest 'a funeral procession' in mourning for the seven million children they say die each year because of the debt crisis in the poorest countries.

They marched across Prague accompanied by a brass band playing funeral music. Some wore chains to symbolise the effects of developing world debts.

Persistent campaign

After hearing speeches calling for the cancellation of the debts of the poorest countries, they moved on protest at some of the hotels used by delegates attending the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund where debt relief is on the agenda.

This is not a large protest.

Hundreds, rather than thousands of people joined the march. But previous Jubilee 2000 events at G7 summits in Cologne and Birmingham over the last two years have been much larger.

The organisation has been an important influence behind the moves on debt relief already made by the IMF, the World Bank and the government of the rich countries.