Riot Police And G8 Protesters In Stand-Off

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Tuesday 11th June 2013

The Metropolitan Police have arrested 57 people as hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters take over a former police station in Soho and gather in Piccadilly Circus.

There's now a police operation at the rear of the station in Beak Street against members of the StopG8 group.

The move by police came as protesters from the group Stop G8 planned a "Carnival Against Capitalism" in central London, with a march from midday followed by a street party on Piccadilly Circus at 5.30pm.

The protest has moved from Piccadilly Circus on to Piccadilly and the road is closed all the way to Hyde Park Corner.
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One of the protesters told LBC 97.3: "The police are doing what they always do. They are clamping down on dissenters.

"They are using this eviction as an excuse to lock up people who they know will shout and scream against the system. I don't want to run down the streets. I want to raise awareness of what's going on.

"Frankly, if that means shutting down a Starbucks for a day peacefully, so people can be made aware of what's going on, I think the damage done by that would be a lot less than the damage that is currently being done by these ministers who are sitting in their isolated, secluded palaces, plotting the future of the world."

 

LBC 97.3's Tom Swarbrick reports from outside the building: "One hundred plus riot police are surrounding a building on Beak Street which is being occupied by protesters.

"One man is standing on the roof and has displayed a flag in opposition to the G8 meeting. Officers are attempting to evict them now.

"The protesters are due to meet en masse at Piccadilly Circus at noon."

The Metropolitan Police will use stop and search powers on any potential troublemakers and have the ability to remove masks from protesters.

The Stop G8 website provided this map, with 100 potential targets of their action, which they claim are the hiding places of capitalism.

The leaders of the world's eight wealthiest countries, including Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, are due to meet at the luxury Lough Erne resort in Co Fermanagh for the two-day conference next week.

US President Barack Obama is to visit parts of Belfast ahead of the summit.