Anarchists blitz the Ritz:

[crippen]

Anarchists blitz the Ritz: Yobs break away from anti-cuts demo as at least HALF A MILLION peaceful protesters march on London
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER
Last updated at 3:53 PM on 26th March 2011

Hooded anarchists throw paint and set off flares on Oxford Street

Labour leader Ed Miliband likens protest to anti-apartheid movement
Anarchists today broke away from one of the largest protests Britain has ever seen to bring chaos to the streets of London.
The Ritz hotel was among the buildings targeted in the capital after groups of rampaging youths intent on spreading havoc left the mass anti-cuts demonstration.
Around 500,000 activists and campaigners descended on London this morning to protest at the Government's drastic cuts programme.
But while the main march and rally in Hyde Park, which was addressed by Labour leader Ed Miliband, remained peaceful, splinter groups of anarchists went wild.


Chaos: A protester smashing windows at The Ritz in London today


A policeman splashed with paint in Oxford Street during the anti-cuts protest


Officers clashing with demonstrators in Oxford Street


Topshop's flagship store was paintbombed
Hundreds of activists - many wearing masks and hoods - disrupted traffic, set off fireworks and flares in the busiest areas of the city including Piccadilly Circus, Oxford Street and Regent Street.
Lightbulbs filled with ammonia and paintbombs were thrown at police as they desperately tried to keep the peace.

Banks, Boots and Topshop's flagship store were all targeted before the marauders moved on to The Ritz near Green Park, where they smashed in windows.
The event, organised by the TUC, is believed to be the largest march since up to a million took to the streets in 2003 to oppose the war in Iraq. By 3pm, estimated participation was at 500,000.


Activists threw flares at shops on Oxford Street


HSBC (above) and the Royal Bank of Scotland were targeted




Wrestle: A police officer has an activist in his grip and then pushes him to the floor
The Labour leader defied calls to stay away in case the protest descended into anarchy and attempted to use the occasion to argue that his party offered an 'alternative'.


Ed Miliband
Mr Miliband described the gathering as 'extraordinary' and declared himself 'profoundly moved'. He even likened the action to the anti-apartheid movement.
'We come in the tradition of movements that have marched in peaceful but powerful protest for justice, fairness and political change,' he said.
'The suffragettes who fought for votes for women and won. The civil rights movement in America that fought against racism and won.
'The anti apartheid movement that fought the horror of that system and won. The cause may be different but in coming together today to realise our voice, we are standing on the shoulders of those who have marched and struggled for great causes in the past.
'Our struggle is to fight to preserve, protect and defend the best of the services we cherish because they represent the best of the country we love. We know what the government will say: that this is a march of the minority. They are so wrong.'
He added: 'David Cameron: you wanted to create the big society. This is the big society. The big society united against what your government is doing to our country. We stand today not as the minority, but as the voice of the mainstream majority in this country.'



A protestor holds a smoke flare during clashes with police


Protesters attacked a police van with metal bars
The demonstration was divided between chaos and peaceful action, with nurses, midwives, Gurkhas and teachers all on the streets.
Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, said the turnout was 'absolutely enormous and showed the anger of ordinary working people at the Government's cuts'.
As police fought with the violent fringe, the main group of marchers demonstrated peacefully and walked along the planned route without conflict.
Steel bands, choirs, performers and dancers performed while the mass of people, many with their children in tow, blew horns and whistles as they passed alongside Parliament.

The Trades Union Congress organised the march to Hyde Park, where a rally will take place

Protesters of all ages joined the march across London as Scotland yard put 4,500 police officers on the streets



Demonstrators walk by Big Ben in central London during the protest dubbed the 'March for the Alternative'


Read more: TUC anti-cuts demo: At least HALF A MILLION peaceful protesters march on London | Mail Online

[harrybarracuda]

Great isn't it. Soap dodging benefit scrounging teenagers who can't be arsed to work for a living and who wear gay Che Guevara T shirts.

Some protest.

[blue]

ha ha love it/
MAXIMUM respect to the anarchists.
its the other 500 ,00 public sector workers who are scroungers -
gold plated pensions, big pay rises and huge increase in thier number over the last 12 years-almost unsackable ,and they think they are entitled to a job for life ,
most would not last 5 min in the private sector.
Marching down the street with thier loudspeakers etc , bleating like sheep,
i hate them ,.
Was there a Free Palestine flag there too ?
Scum .
the anarchists are the heroes -teaching the police some manners

[Jeremia]

Great isn't it. Soap dodging benefit scrounging teenagers who can't be arsed to work for a living and who wear gay Che Guevara T shirts.

Some protest.

All I can say is that my 26 year old son has just been made redundant..He has a heart of gold and is as brave as a lion..He has worked his effing BALLS off for this company but is out on the heap....A heap of English workers being pissed on by Polish labourers living in huts....There was a queue of 20 men of varying ages being interviewed for the only job available a Council Gardener/Grave digger..Hope he gets the job but I doubt it because he doesn't have a degree in Agriculture...

..and what makes it worse is that he lives in a town where he can cycle to work..which he did 6 miles there and back for 6 years......God knows how youngsters in villages with no bus service get to job interviews..

Nobody gives a shit about the unemployed outside of the big cities...I would LOVE to see those buggers storming London!!

Rant over!

[blue]

dont get me started about immigrants, theres £15 000 000 000 quid, being spent on the Olympic games, the Polish have the building jobs and the Africans the security work , that's in East London with very high unemployment.
When the games start they are going to be run by volunteers .Where's the money gone ?

where were these 500,000 marching public workers when the private sector jobs were being given away to immigrants ?

rant just started ....

[dirtydog]

Hope he gets the job but I doubt it because he doesn't have a degree in Agriculture...

If he becomes a serial killer they will need another grave digger, just an idea

[Jeremia]

My son WANTS to work...He has seen me pick myself up, brush myself down and start all over again too many times. He doesn't, and will not, shirk his responsibilities,,,SHIT I am proud of him...but I am also afraid for his future...

[Jeremia]

Hope he gets the job but I doubt it because he doesn't have a degree in Agriculture...

If he becomes a serial killer they will need another grave digger, just an idea

Job creation...excellent idea..

[dirtydog]

Aint these Northern Ireland gloves? ie got the lead weights in them, wouldn't have thought the police would be allowed these.

[Thormaturge]

Evidence that the police are model citizens.

I don't think much of the latest Top Shop fashion, but I suppose it was only time before fluorescent vests became fashionable.

500,000 is a huge demonstration. This reminds me of the miners and, later, the "poll tax" demonstrations. Yes the Conservatives are back in town. This simply highlights the main problem in the UK that there are insufficient "real" jobs and that you cannot mask it by simply padding out the public sector. The "real" jobs have, of course, been going to China and Asia for decades. textiles, cars, ship building, even manufacturing plastic supermarket bags.

Europe and North America have simply got to become accustomed to a lower standard of living.

[Jeremia]

Aint these Northern Ireland gloves? ie got the lead weights in them, wouldn't have thought the police would be allowed these.

Where the fukc did you get that bullshit from??? ....Given that I served in NI when they were introduced...

[DrB0b]

Aint these Northern Ireland gloves? ie got the lead weights in them, wouldn't have thought the police would be allowed these.

They're not allowed them. He's wearing police "public order" gloves. The padding's foam, not lead. Meant to protect your hand from being whacked with a baton. Hard to tell the difference until you're thumped, though.

[Jeremia]

Aint these Northern Ireland gloves? ie got the lead weights in them, wouldn't have thought the police would be allowed these.

They're not allowed them. He's wearing police "public order" gloves. The padding's foam, not lead. Meant to protect your hand from being whacked with a baton. Hard to tell the difference until you're thumped, though.

Tell the difference from what???

[Jeremia]

God you fuckers are getting me angry tonight

[blue]

The reason why this shop is full of security guards is because its owned by--- '' Sir Philip Green, owner of the Arcadia Group of retailers, ninth richest man in Britain and a government adviser, is a tax avoider
While Green lives and works in the UK, the Arcadia Group is registered in the name of his wife, Tina, who is resident in Monaco and so enjoys a 0% income-tax rate.
In 2005 this arrangement allowed the greens to bank £1.2 billion ,the biggest pay check in British corporate history, without paying a penny in tax.
This completely legal dodge cost the British taxpayer £285m, enough to pay the salaries of 9,000 NHS nurses''

[nigelandjan]

What really fuks me off is to see foreign students like that bastard with that yellow flare smashing our place up especially with twats like me working to pay tax to subsidise their education one way or another .

If you dont like what goes on in OUR country I will be more than happy to help you pack your case.

[dirtydog]

Where the fukc did you get that bullshit from??? ....Given that I served in NI when they were introduced...

There is a lot of difference in using lead weighted gloves on uppity paddies and upstanding fine english gentlemen, I mean if you want to quieten down an uppity paddy either a sack of potatoes or a lead weighted glove does the trick, if you want to quieten down English gentlement an "Excuse me Sir, could you keep the noise down please" seems to do the trick

[dirtydog]

[Ascotkiwi]

So - if this was the Thailand scenario - would you clasify the protesters as Red Shirts?