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Britain's richest man Lakshmi Mittal targeted by protesters
12.05.09
Riot police were called in to protect Britain's richest man, Lakshmi Mittal, after workers crowded outside the headquarters of his steel giant ArcelorMittal in a bid to disrupt its shareholder meeting.
Workers hurled stones and steel fencing at the Luxembourg headquarters to protest against temporary lay-offs and a halving of production.
Mittal, who is nursing a fall in his personal fortune this year from £27 billion to £11 billion, said the production cutbacks at the steel giant were a result of “market conditions”.
French luxury goods billionaire Francois-Henri Pinault has had to be protected by riot police twice in the past fortnight after attacks from workers protesting against his redundancy plans, while last month shareholders threw shoes and coins at Fortis directors at an EGM.
The ArcelorMittal protest did not affect the meeting or lunch, which continued unhindered on an upper floor.
