News In Brief

Missile protests commence at US base in W. Germany

Police heavily outnumbered West German anti-nuclear demonstrators Thursday as they began their promised ''hot autumn'' of protest by blockading a key US Army supply headquarters near Bremerhaven.

More than 2,000 people took part in the blockade of the Carl Schurz barracks to protest planned deployment of cruise and Pershing II missiles in West Germany starting in December, a police spokesman said. But the demonstrators were outnumbered by some 3,000 police wearing riot gear, with an additional 3,000 police standing in reserve. About 250 of the demonstrators were detained briefly when police cleared an approach road to allow a convoy of trucks to a nearby harbor.