MELBOURNE, Australia: Rock star and anti-poverty activist Bono on Monday criticized the use of violence by protesters outside a meeting of world financial officials in Melbourne at the weekend.

To "make our position clear and (to) argue rationally and emotionally is OK, but not to the point of smashing up the downtown area of Melbourne," Bono of the rock group U2 told reporters after meeting Australian Treasurer Peter Costello, who hosted the Group of 20 meeting of finance ministers and central bank chiefs.

On Saturday, demonstrators had running clashes with police providing security at the meeting. Several officers suffered minor injuries; no injuries among protesters were reported. At least seven people were arrested.

Bono was in Melbourne to perform with U2 at the weekend. While there, he appeared at a concert on Friday organized by the Make Poverty History group, one of several events organized to coincide with the G-20 meeting.

Costello said he and Bono discussed a range of issues. "We talked of aid, the importance of aid effectiveness, the importance of rooting out corruption and he spoke to me of some of the projects that he supports," Costello said.

"They sound as if they are doing good work and it was a very positive, constructive discussion."

- the International Herald Tribune

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