Estonia sees 2d night of riots

TALLINN, Estonia - Police fired rubber bullets and a water cannon at hundreds of protesters in Estonia's capital yesterday in a second night of rioting by ethnic Russians angry over the removal of a Soviet war memorial - an act that also aggravated tensions with the Kremlin.

As some people waved Russian flags, demonstrators threw bottles and rocks for several hours, then largely dispersed after officers advanced on the crowd and began making arrests. Several parked cars were smashed and some billboards were set on fire.

Julia Garanza, a police spokeswoman, said more than 300 people were taken into custody and 10 protesters suffered minor injuries, including one who had to be hospitalized.

Estonia's Russian-speakers - roughly a third of the 1.3 million population - revere the monument erected in 1947 as a tribute to Red Army soldiers who died fighting Nazi Germany.