The protests have started in London at last. After prolonged media speculation about the level of violence, and two days of eerie quiet in the City, the event has finally kicked off. And there are signs that things might get ugly.
The conditions for this week's G20 Conference amount to almost a perfect storm of protest, with a combination of anti-globalization groups, climate change protesters and anti-war groups all pitching with plans for demonstration. Last week the Metropolitan police warned that they were "up for it, and up to it" if there was any trouble, a statement which was in itself seen as highly provocative. And there was a harbinger last week in Edinburgh, when anarchists broke the windows of Sir Fred Goodwin's house and his Mercedes (as chief executive of the Royal Bank of Scotland he walked away with a $22 million payout after bringing the bank to near-collapse).
Many of the protest groups, such as the Put People First marchers ("Jobs, Justice and Climate") are determinedly peaceful. But the police have been preparing for trouble. Units were reportedly being issued with Tasers, CS "tear" gas and long-handled batons. A report on the BBC earlier today denied that Tasers would be issued, but this denial now seems to have been withdrawn.
According to the BBC, the first trouble seems have started when "police in the City of London stopped and questioned about half a dozen demonstrators who were traveling in an armored vehicle and dressed in helmets and overalls." The vehicle involved was a Saracen, a wheeled armored personnel carrier. This , strongly points to harmless anarchist group, Space Hijackers; Danger Room reported on their use of their Saracen, called "Fredom" (sic), in a publicity stunt at a 2007 arms fair. This time, their armored vehicle has been repainted as a spoof riot-control vehicle as a comment on policing at the G20.
The Space Hijackers website shows their take on essential protest technology, including a portable "pirate radio briefcase" and "graffiti boots" -- but a decided lack of weaponry. Martina Pepper of protest group G20 Meltdown says her group would be bringing pillows, "And yes, we are prepared to fight truncheon with pillow."
However, in an echo of Edinburgh, protesters did smash windows at the Royal Bank of Scotland and entered the building; as of 4 pm UK time the police are reporting 19 arrests and estimate there are around 4,000 protesters in the streets of the City.
Peaceful protests are continuing. The eco-protesters Climate Camp have pitched tents outside the European Climate Exchange, and there is reported to be a rock-festival atmosphere with "music and meditation." They're planning to stay for 24 hours.
Earlier today the "Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse" converged on the Bank of England; this afternoon the Stop The War Coalitionare marching from the US Embassy in Grosvenor Square to a rally in Trafalgar Square.
New technology means that the news media can get "your pictures" of the protests almost instantly. The protests, and the way they are policed, are likely to be scrutinised more closely than ever. It remains to be seen whether one violent protester will attract more attention than ten thousand peaceful ones – and what message that gives for future protests.
**
**
UPDATE: Apart from one brief spell of violence, the day seems to have gone off very peacefully; reports suggest that the total number of arrests is just twenty-four, a far cry from the kind of massed rioting the police were anticipating. The policing has also been very low-key: no Tasers or tear gas, just police lines using used "containment" and "controlled dispersal." Police also seem to have learned from previous incidents of containing crowds and provided temporary toilets and bottled water for protesters.
So far it looks like a success all round: the protesters made their point; the police ensured that peace and order were maintained without undue force; the media had plenty of striking images to fill their airtime. A model of liberal democracy -- unless, of course, there is an outbreak of violence overnight.
FURTHER UPDATE: By Thursday morning, the City was again peaceful, but more images of the police action were being circulated including baton charges against apparently peaceful protesters, and the number of arrests is now reported as being around 90. One death has been reported, a man in his 30's who collapsed and died"of natural causes" according to one witness quoted in the Guardian. Police medics were pelted with bottles and other missiles as they tried to treat him according to reports.
The police are also using another tactic now familiar from Iraq: videoing troublemakers from the air, tracking them and arresting them afterwards. This has reportedly led to raids on a number of squats which protesters occupied in the run up to G20. Helicopters are an expensive way of doing this: it won't be surprising if we see a switch to drones if this approach is successful.
__FURTHER UPDATE: __The Guardian is now giving accounts from a number of witnesses who have come forward separately to say that the dead man (who turned out to be a local resident, and not a protester) was assaulted by police before he died. This may challenge the police account that he died of natural causes. Further, they say that he was assisted by protesters when the police did not help; this is the complete opposite of the police account claiming that there was a hail of botles when police medics went to assist him. The Independent Police Complaints Commission are investigating the case.
__FURTHER UPDATE: __The Guardian has now located a video, released to the BBC, showing Ian Tomlinson being assaulted by policeshortly before he died. He is apparently hit on the legs with a baton and pushed to the ground from behind while he has his hands in his pockets. He was attempting to get home after work, but was blocked by police lines. (The video also shows a single bottle being thrown at police while Tomlinson was being treated -- not the hail of missiles previously suggested by police -- and the thrower is apparently stopped by the crowd) . The indepen
dent investigation continues.
__FURTHER UPDATE April 17th : __An initial post-mortem showed that Ian Tomlinson died of a heart attack. However, after further video and photographic evidenceof police assaults on him a second post-mortem was ordered. According to the BBCthis came to a very different conclusion: "Dr Cary's opinion is that the cause of death was abdominal haemorrhage. The cause of the haemorrhage remains to be ascertained."
This has raised the possibility of a manslaughter charge for the police officer who assaulted him.
Meanwhile police tactics are coming under intense scrutiny; the Metropolitan Police Commissioner has asked Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Constabulary(HMIC) to review policing tactics after 145 complaints were received, many of them backed by photographic evidence.
