Clashes outside Bank of England

[Turborama]

Source: BBC

There have been ugly scenes outside the Bank of England, in London, where protesters have clashed with police ahead of the G20 summit.

(Video at link)

Read more: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7976812.stm

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Police struggle to control Bank scuffles

Press Association

Protesters gathered in the capital today for a series of demonstrations to coincide with the start of the G20 Summit.

Marches led to a ugly scenes at the junction of Threadneedle Street and Bartholomew Lane as protesters tried to force their way through police lines. Protesters pushed and taunted a yellow line of neon-jacketed police officers, who responded with batons drawn.

One animated protester who apparently had a head wound was at the front of the crowd as officers tried to calm the situation. One man dressed in black and with his his face masked emerged with a long pole and attempted to strike officers. One policeman was taken aside after apparently being struck.

Protesters earlier became excitable outside the Bank of England and appeared to be tussling with police. Objects were thrown towards police photographers - including a policeman's helmet. And officers were pelted with fruit as a red smoke cannister was let off. A blue paint ball was hurled from the crowd of protesters and hit one of the concrete columns outside the Bank, narrowly avoiding the head of a police officer monitoring the crowds.

By noon such incidents had been isolated and the Metropolitan Police said no arrests had been reported. But the confrontations became more tense at about 1pm.

Scotland Yard said police in London made 11 arrests after officers stopped an armoured personnel carrier parked on Bishopsgate. It is understood the vehicle was stopped because of suspected road traffic offences and fake police uniforms were discovered inside.

Meanwhile climate change protesters set up a camp in nearby Bishopsgate, using pop-up tents and saying they hoped to remain for 24 hours.

There were reports that City workers were taunting the protesters - waving £10 notes from office windows..

Read More: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/police-struggle-to-control-bank-scuffles-1659268.html




Police climb over barriers after being overpowered by protestors outside the Bank of England



Police officers struggle as anti-capitalist and climate change activists demonstrate in the City of London

I just saw a live report on CNN International from where Climate Camp are protesting and it seems like everyone is having fun dancing and singing there. The area surrounding the bank of England has been cordoned off, however, and everyone is hemmed in to a tight group & a lot of shoving/surging is going on. The windows of the Royal Bank of Scotland have been smashed in too.

Climate Camp: http://www.climatecamp.org.uk/g20

G20 Meltdown: http://www.g-20meltdown.org/3.html

Indymedia: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/

[Mari333]

1. sky news live coverage

if you click on the news links on lower right, watch 'sky news live' and see it as it happens..its getting ugly...windows being broken

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/UK-News/G20-Protests-In-London-Live-From-Our-Reporters-At-The-Scene-Via-Twitter/Article/200904115253146

[madrchsod]

2. i like this one

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7976444.stm

[FailureToCommunicate]

11. "Hello hello hello, that armored car seems 'armless enough, move along." I'm surprised

the Police even noticed it. Seems like some protesters were listening to John Belushi in Animal House: "Yeah, good idea! Let's take a TANK to the protest!"

[elleng]

3. Ugly scenes?

1220 BBC's Dominic Casciani texts: About two dozen black-clad men have charged police lines on Cornhill at Bank. There were minor skirmishes but the group sprinted away. Otherwise calm. A few minutes ago it got noisier when someone popped a head over the balcony of the governor of the Bank of England's office.


http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/7973178.stm

[Turborama]

10. Thanks for sharing the link to that live blog, here's an update...

1422 The BBC's Mark Georgiou says: Police horses move to line up outside RBS. Firework thrown

1417 The BBC's Mark Georgiou says: Police in riot gear are slowly clearing the area in front of RBS on Threadneedle Street. It is noisy and the occasional missle is thrown. One protestor has bared his backside to the police. I've not seen any arrests so far. Police seem happy just to contain crowd.


1412 The BBC's Dominic Casciani at Bishopsgate says: Calm here. Campers are putting up tents and police are not stopping them. Organisers say they will be here for 24 hours and food is being served. Organisers wearing sashes are announcng climate change workshops for anyone here for the long haul.

1405 The BBC's Daniel Boettcher says: A dozen or so police officers are putting on riot gear. On this corner of Threadneedle Street some of the protesters have been surging forward trying to push through the police line. The police have blocked off all approaches to the square, they are letting people out but no one back in again.


1352 The BBC's Mark Georgiou texts: More windows broken at RBS - some protestors in building. Mounted police blocking end of Bartholemew lane. More windows broken. Very tense.

1345 BBC correspondents report that windows of a branch of Royal Bank of Scotland in the City have been broken.

1343 Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says he is "optimistic" about future relations with the US after meeting Obama. Obama says he will visit Russia in July.

1342 Rolf Goehler from Ilinois, US, writes: The leaders are too incompetent to address any of these issues. This is a good political show for the dumb masses that think government is the solution.

BBC's Mark Georgiou texts: Bottles and cans thrown at RBS on Threadneedle Street.

1315 BBC reporter Dominic Casciani says: Climate Camp protesters have occupied Bishopsgate outside the Climate Exchange, where carbon emission permits are traded. Atmosphere is carnival-like among at least 500 people - police are invisible other than vans shielding the exchange offices.

1315 BBC reporter Ben Brown outside the Bank of England says: Protesters have been scrawling graffiti on the walls of the Bank. There have been some scuffles in the last few minutes. Some of the demonstrators have been clashing with the police. No large-scale violence but pushing and shoving.

1314 Following Obama's bilateral with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, they have announced Washington and Moscow will pursue an arms deal cutting nuclear warheads below levels agreed in 2002.

1309 Commander Simon O'Brien from the Metropolitan Police's Gold Command centre says the 3-4,000 people now outside the Bank of England did not tell the police their plans, making decisions about policing levels "very difficult".

1308 BBC diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus says: The world that emerges from this crisis is going to be very different because foreign policy is changed by crisis. There are many people who argue that the impact of this financial crisis is probably going to be greater than the 9/11 attacks in Washington and New York.


Daniel James, Norwich, UK, says: Why are the BBC talking about the G20 protestors as if they are a bunch of escaped convicts baying for financial blood? My Dad is protesting after finding that his pension is 60% lower than it was 12 months ago. He has worked all his life as a newspaper journalist.

1258 The BBC's Mark Georgiou texts: The crowd outside the Bank of England is getting increasingly tense. The police line in Threadneedle street is becoming the focus of loud attention.

1253 Scotland Yard says the number of people arrested now stands at 11.

1252 BBC producer Dominic Hurst texts: Protesters are penned into the square outside the Bank of England. A police officer said "we've been told not to let anyone out". The tactics are like the Mayday protest in London's Oxford Street some years ago.

1247 We should point out the G20 summit proper gets under way tomorrow. It lasts four-and-a-half hours. Even given all the pre-G20 legwork by the summit sherpas, it doesn't seem a lot of time to save the world.

The BBC's Mark Georgiou texts: Billy brag. Singing to protestors outside bank.

Jessica Best tweets: Russell Brand spotted among protesters.

1230 City workers have been leaning out of windows to wave £10 notes at G20 protesters on the streets below, the Press Association reports. Demonstrators responded with jeers and shouts, their reporter says.

[Blue_Tires]

4. hope it remains relatively peaceful...

[dipsydoodle]

5. Getta load of this

The police picking on someone who turned up in an armoured car.....lol.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7976444.stm

[Smith_3]

6. Fire in the hole. nt

[FailureToCommunicate]

7. What so "ugly" about it? Seems like old school to me. (Gee, how come the police

aren't bristling with guns and riot gear? You can actually see their faces. One Bobby is saying "Move back, move back PLEASE" (!)
Civilized country.
And their beer is better.
And their street dancing...

[Mari333]

8. police in england and ireland

i noticed, dont dress like the gestapo..or behave in that manner like they do in the united states. I was very impressed when I was there. I think it sets a tone when they dont look like thugs..or behave like thugs.perhaps thats one reason so many people are protesting in europe now and not in the united states..they arent as afraid as we are of having their heads bashed in.

[Diclotican]

13. FailureToCommunicate

FailureToCommunicate

My guess is that you would not blow it up, when acting civilized somehow.. And the british police is known to be polite for the most part... But if crunch time is coming I guess even the police in UK would act according to order - even it means bashing someones head..

But on the other hand, I would like to se american police act as the british are doing, that would be somewhat intersting....

And yes, their beer is better... much better...

Diclotican

[onehandle]

9. What in the Hell is with the "Who is John Galt" sign in the first picture?

And is there an equivalent of "Free Mumia" over there?

Maybe "Fwee Bwian!"

What I find amazing is that protests are not aimed at our President anymore.

That would be so pre-01/20/09.

[paulsby]

15. there's "free mumia" posters

at every protest. i saw them at WTO left and right for instance.

i of course prefer "fry mumia" since the guy is obviously guilty as fuck.

[martymar64]

19. I prefer the "Skullfuck the corpse of Ayn Rand" posters myself

[paulsby]

22. lol

chafing!

[Telly Savalas]

17. Oy. Ayn Rand freaks and self-styled "anarchists" at the same event.

I'm so grateful that G20 event isn't in the city where I live.

[Turborama]

12. G20 protesters smash bank windows in London

By Kate Holten

LONDON (Reuters) - Demonstrators smashed windows at office buildings in Britain's financial center on Wednesday in protest against a financial system they said had robbed the poor to benefit the rich.

Timed to coincide with a G20 meeting of the world's leading and emerging economies, thousands marched behind models of the "four horsemen of the apocalypse" representing financial crimes, war, climate change and homelessness.

Dozens of protesters smashed windows at a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland, a failed bank which has been bailed out by the government. Its former boss Fred Goodwin was the focus of anger in Britain about high pay for bankers.

"These streets, our streets! These banks, our banks!" protesters shouted.

Some threw eggs at police and some chanted "build a bonfire, put the bankers on the top." Others shouted "jump" and "shame on you" at financial sector workers watching the march from office block windows.

"We have been robbed," said Vinzcente Oliver, 22, from northern England, protesting about how low interest rates have hit savers and pensioners. "I am coming to support the older people who have been working all these years. If we did any stealing we would go to jail."

Read More: http://www.reuters.com/article/ousiv/idUSTRE5302SN20090401?virtualBrandChannel=10504

Protesters break into RBS building

Source: Times

Adam Fresco, David Byers

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/G20/article6012076.ece">Video: police crushed as City protesters gather pace

Anti-capitalist protesters are believed to have broken into a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland in the centre of London today after smashing windows with a volley of missiles.

With police on horseback unable to maintain control and being forced back, a series of windows at the building were broken, graffiti was daubed on the walls and there were reports that some protesters had broken into the branch.

Hundreds of protesters were seen to converge on the bank, on the corner of Threadneedle Street and Bartholomew Lane, as a total of 4,000 demonstrated outside the Bank of England nearby.

As police on horseback and in riot gear proved unable to protect the building, which was thought to be empty, officers with dogs charged at the crowd in an attempt to force them back. The crowd were heard to chant: "Shame on you" as officers drove them away from the door.

With the demonstrations - carried out by a combination of anarchists, anti-war protesters, environmentalists and others - rapidly heating up, Scotland Yard said cordons had been put up all around the surrounding area in response to "increasing levels of violence". The marchers had made their way to the bank using four different routes - from Moorgate, Cannon Street, Liverpool Street and London Bridge.

A Met Police spokesman said: "There have been a number of missiles thrown at officers and a number of surges at the police cordons, and increasing levels of violence towards police. Cordons have been put in place to maintain safety and control the crowd."

Read More: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/G20/article6015252.ece

[pam4water]

14. What was the crowd shouting. Or were they just boooing?

[SlipperySlope]

16. The only thing "ugly" here is that the police are armed and the protestors are not.

N/T

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

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[sarcasmo]

21. That's protesting. Here in the States. The question is,

Who was kicked of Idol last night?

[Turborama]

23. There's some great footage of the other (peaceful/fun) protest in the financial heart of London

& I've added several videos on the Political Videos forum, if you're interested to have a look... ;-)

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x291520

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x291526