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G-20 Summit | 04/01/2009 7:50 am

Violence Breaks Out at G-20 Protest in London

By The Staff at wowOwow.com
© AP

In an act of international populist anger, thousands of people took to London’s streets today.

Four separate march routes have been set up and converged outside the Bank of London as world leaders meet to discuss the ever-growing economic crisis. London’s Metropolitan Police have already deployed 3,000 officers to deal with the protesters, who they fear will spark riots at specific "flash points" across the city. Violence has already broken out outside the bank, where riot pens were pushed to their limits and police launched tear gas at the increasingly volatile group. At least 11 people have been arrested so far, and authorities reportedly used batons to push back at least a few activists.

These protesters aren’t simply irate citizens who have lost their jobs, but a highly organized mass of social groups who are fighting what they see as the dangers of capitalism, says The Telegraph: "More than 80 protest groups — including Climate Camp, Stop the War and Plane Stupid — are coming together under one umbrella group, called G-20 Meltdown."

Rather than simply shaking their fists, many of the activists have adopted creative ways to voice their grievances, the Guardian reports:

As the four horsemen of the apocalypse danced to the brass bands on the steps of the bank and peered out over the noisy crowd of thousands, others explained why they had come to protest.

Mike Tucker, a representative of War on Want, was standing next to a large toy canary on a stretcher as demonstrators in pinstripes and devil masks jostled past.

It’s a symbol of the death of Canary Wharf and the financial system that is failing millions of people across the world,’ he said. ‘We’re facing an environmental crisis and a financial crisis, and it’s being made worse by the greed of the people here in the financial centre of London.’

In order to ensure President Obama and other world leaders are safe at the meeting tomorrow, police are erecting a steel barrier around the Excel center. That may keep the protesters out, but it most likely will do nothing to quell the growing anger worldwide.

105 Reader Comments (so far…) Sign In or Register to comment

Rudi G.
It’s 6:09 Pacific. How long will it take for a conservative to post something here about the paranoid fantasy of a world currency?
By Rudi G. on 04/01/2009 8:10 am
f p
lolololololololol  nice one Rudi and soooooooo true
By f p on 04/01/2009 8:13 am
Mary Quite-Contrary

Well given the photo shows a banner (in perfect english, whoda guessed that?) ABOLISH MONEY it kinda begs the question, what solutions to these people want?  Worldwide bartering? 

Follow the path of the Euro?  Thats been a success…

 

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 04/01/2009 8:35 am
Rudi G.
Why wouldn’t people in London use English? They were speaking it long before we were. And the Brits don’t use Euros. They have their own currency, known as the pound.
By Rudi G. on 04/01/2009 10:31 am
Mary Quite-Contrary

The pound? Getta outta here….are ya sure? 

My post was pointing out the ABOLISH MONEY banner, and the profound intellect that went into painting it, and showing up and proudly waving it.  I guess they have ‘renta mobs’ (payable in pounds) in Britain.  What IS the recourse if we/they ABOLISH MONEY?  Resort to a (failed) system like the Euro?  Barter?  Go back to the stone age? 

By Mary Quite-Contrary on 04/01/2009 10:43 am
Rudi G.

I’m positive the Brits are not on the Euro. They are not part of the European Union.

Haven’t you heard? Under socialism you don’t need cash because they implant a microchip in the palm of your hand, as predicted in Revelation.

By Rudi G. on 04/01/2009 2:27 pm
Jack Holloway
We are part of the EU, actually.
By Jack Holloway on 04/01/2009 3:23 pm
Rudi G.
I stand corrected. I thought joining the EU meant you had to adopt the Euro.
By Rudi G. on 04/01/2009 6:09 pm
Rebecca G
Mary, the UK uses the British Pound and not the Euro.  I am 100% positive as my dear old friend from London just spent the past weekend with me.
By Rebecca G on 04/01/2009 2:47 pm
Star Lawrence
Are you referring to IMF control?
By Star Lawrence on 04/01/2009 3:28 pm
Marjorie C.

…what they see as the dangers of capitalism,…

How is this all going to end, one might wonder.  Has the French President walked out, yet?  Or is he trapped behind the steel barriers. 

What a mess.

 

By Marjorie C. on 04/01/2009 8:15 am
f p
Typical Euro party, Marjorie—"let’s have a riot today shall we?"  lolol
By f p on 04/01/2009 8:19 am
Marjorie C.

f p:  —"let’s have a riot today shall we?"

Guess so…   Probably a lot of unemployment over there allowing for people to have free time. 

Abolish Money…  I don’t get it.  Did Obama say something about the European model?  We should have Socialized Medicine like civilized Europe has.  So they are so advanced, so ahead of us.

By Marjorie C. on 04/01/2009 12:24 pm
Star Lawrence
Money has been abolished at my house.
By Star Lawrence on 04/01/2009 3:28 pm
Marjorie C.

Star:  Money has been abolished at my house.

There ya go.  ;-)

By Marjorie C. on 04/01/2009 3:35 pm