Police raid anti-G8 protestors’ base in central London

The Group of Eight summit is due to begin next week in Enniskillen in Northern Ireland and demonstrators had planned a “Carnival Against Capitalism” across the capital to kick off a week of action.

However, hours before Tuesday’s protest was due to start, more than 100 police officers moved in on a building just off Regent’s Street in the Soho area, trapping protestors as helicopters hovered above and reinforcements waited nearby.

A London police spokesman said:

“There’s a warrant being executed there. Our protest liaison teams are actively working to engage with those wishing to protest so that we can facilitate peaceful protest.”

Stop G8 wrote on Twitter : “Carnival will go ahead despite cops at Beak st. Don’t let them intimidate us! See you 12 noon Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus.”

Last month the anti-capitalist group issued a map of potential targets for people to “show their anger”, identifying organisations such as banks, hedge funds, mining and energy companies. Many firms that are possible targets have warned their staff to be especially alert to the demonstrations and have introduced enhanced security checks.

British Prime Minister David Cameron must now hope that the remnants of the Irish Republican Army will not trouble the world’s most powerful leaders at the summit next week. Some 900 police will be on duty in Enniskillen and the government recently approved new rules allowing phone signals to be blocked in the case of an emergency.

Source: EURONEWS