http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2009/mar/27/g20-protest<snip>
Yesterday, the Metropolitan police was understood to have contacted a number of protest groups warning that the main day of protest, Wednesday, 1 April would be "very violent", and senior commanders have insisted that they are "up for it, and up to it", should there be any trouble.
The force has refused to rule out the use of anti-terror legislation, with Sir Paul Stephenson, the Met commissioner, conceding that the week ahead, in which President Barack Obama will lead a cortege of other world leaders to the UK, will be the Met's greatest challenge.
Senior officers insist there is intelligence that some activists demonstrating against climate change, capitalism, war and globalisation are intent on violence and will try to disrupt the summit. They say that some troublemakers who were active in the 1990s have emerged once more, and that chatter between groups shows they are forging alliances to take their message to world leaders. Some protesters have also promised to storm buildings, taking out their anger over the collapse of the capitalist economy with direct action designed to bring London to a standstill.
However, David Howarth, a Liberal Democrat MP who is leading a parliamentary group of observers at the protests next week, said: "I am increasingly worried that what the police are saying about the protests will end up in a self-fulfilling prophecy. By talking up the prospect of violence they will put off peaceful demonstrators and start to attract other sorts."
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Meanwhile the coward banks are closing during the protests.
<snip>
Branches of Lloyds TSB and Halifax in the path of the G20 protesters are to be shut for two days to protect customers and staff during what could be angry demonstrations against banks bailed out by the taxpayer.
It is understood non-essential staff are also being told to work from home on 1 and 2 April - the day that officials from the G20 countries are due to meet in ExCel to the east of the City.
The G20 Meltdown campaign is intending to converge on the Bank of England from four directions. Each set of protestors will march behind one of the "four horsemen of the apocalypse".
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/27/g20-protests-banks----------------