BUSAN, South Korea, Nov. 18 (Xinhuanet) -- Thousands of South Korean farmers and anti-globalization activists held a series of large-scale street protests on Friday, when the 21 leaders from the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members held the first retreat of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting here.

    To promote free trade and investment is one of the top agenda of this years APEC summit.

    Police block the ways leading to the meeting venue - Busan Exhibition and Convention center, and deployed scores of large size of containers in the middle of the roads six kilometers away from the BEXCO to block the demonstrators.

    However, demonstrators pulled aside some containers by using iron chains.

    Protestors threw stones and bamboo sticks to police and set fire on the containers.

    Moreover, police used high-pressure water gun to disperse the demonstrators.

    The violent rally caused road congestion in Haeundae region in southern Busan.

    Authorities deployed 20,000 riot police to cope with the protests on Friday.

    Organizer of the rally planed to hold protest on Saturday in Busan when the APEC leaders hold second retreat at "Nurimaru" APECHouse in the Dongbaek Island in southern Busan. Nurimaru means peak of the world in Korean.

    South Korean farmers attended the rallies to protest their government's plan to open wider its rice market to foreign imports under a World Trade Organization-imposed deal. Enditem