Protest by ArcelorMittal workers marks violent May Day rallies

LONDON: Police arrested dozens of people as Europe on Friday witnessed a string of recession-fuelled May Day labour rallies, including by workers of an ArcelorMittal steel plant in France.

Workers of ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel plant that is owned by Indian billionaire Lakshmi Niwas Mittal, dressed in protective work suits in a march to denounce the French government's economic policies in Marseille.

Police in the German capital of Berlin arrested 57 people while around 50 officers were hurt as demonstrators threw bottles and rocks and set fire to cars and rubbish bins.

There were also clashes in Hamburg, where anti-capitalist protesters attacked a bank.

In Turkey, masked protesters threw stones and petrol bombs at police, smashing banks and supermarket windows in its biggest city, Istanbul.

Some 150,000 marched through the streets of the capital Ankara.

In Greece, officers fired flash grenades to disperse rioters in Athens after attacks on banks and traffic cameras. Transport strikes disrupted bus, train and ferry services as well as flights by Greek carrier Olympic Airlines.

In Austria 20 people were injured and five arrested after police clashed with demonstrators in Linz.

There were also huge marches in Spain, Italy and Russia.