G20 summit: Trouble flares as protesters return to City

Trouble between police and G20 protesters flared again in the City this afternoon as more than a thousand demonstrators descended on the Bank of England to pay tribute to a man who died last night and to criticise what they said was a deliberate police strategy of "enormous repression".

Although violence had been expected around the ExCeL centre in Docklands, where the G20 summit took place, Threadneedle street was once again the focus of skirmishes as police tried to corral protesters into a "kettle".

About 100 demonstrators were caught in a stand-off with police as a helicopter hovered overhead and lines of officers tried to clear milling protesters from nearby streets.

Once the roads at the busy junction were clear, traffic was allowed to continue but exits to Bank Tube station were closed and those on foot were held back.

It was not clear who the protesters were but many were dressed in black and some carried Communist Party and socialist flags.

A large number of police vans lined Cornhill and mounted police were on standby in a side street.

Police were taunted with chants of "shame on you" as they pushed protesters into groups and other officers photographed activists.

About 4,700 officers, including public order teams, intelligence gatherers and diplomatic security specialists, were deployed throughout the capital amid fears of a repeat of yesterday's violence, during which a City branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland was stormed and destroyed by 20 protesters.

Earlier today, police raided two "squats" in east London. A spokesman said people were "detained on suspicion of violent disorder but [would be] released immediately if not of interest to the police".

Four people were later arrested — two for violent disorder and two for possessing an offensive weapon — bringing the total number of arrests to 111.

G20 delegates leaving the summit in convoys today were met with whistles, jeers and drumming, but protests in Docklands were generally good-natured.

It was a different story in the City, however, where many demonstrators had gathered to remember Ian Tomlinson, the 47-year-old man who collapsed near Cornhill yesterday evening and died in hospital.

Although it is unclear if Mr Tomlinson had taken part in the protests or was simply walking home from work, his death was adopted by some today as evidence of police heavy-handedness.

One of the organisers of today's memorial march told people gathered in Exchange Square that the police needed to explain their tactics.

"A man here died yesterday inside a police cordon," he said. "We're calling for information about this person's death and for an independent public inquiry. This person died inside a police cordon. He was supposed to be under the care of the police and the police have a responsibility for the people they cordon in."

Those behind the event had said they wished to draw attention to the "enormous police repression" yesterday which saw thousands of people "kettled" and other peaceful protesters allegedly charged by baton-wielding officers.

Fran Legg, a 20-year-old politics student from Queen Mary, the University of London, said a small number of protesters were corralled by police near the Bank this afternoon.

Legg, who left the scene just as the police were encircling the protesters, said: "We held a minute's silence for the man who died yesterday and as soon as it had finished police formed a second line and would not let anybody leave or get back in.

"There didn't seem to be any particular reason. For the most part we had just been quiet. It was decided out of respect that we would be quiet."

Commander Simon O'Brien, of the Met, said small pockets of criminals among the 4,000-strong crowd were to blame for the trouble yesterday.

"As we went on it was clear there were people within the group that were first of all involved in juvenile and puerile behaviour," he said. "That started to escalate into quite provocative behaviour towards police lines.

"There were small groups charging forwards and backwards into police lines. It did seem to us, from CCTV and police on the scene, that they tried to find a way to ramp up the protest and hijack it into violence."

O'Brien said police had collected footage from helitelly, the force's nickname for CCTV from powerful helicopter cameras, adding that those identified should expect a "knock on the door".

Police have been criticised for the force they have used, with baton-wielding officers said to have pushed through a line of tents and bicycles, and charged a sit-down protest yesterday.

One photographer contacted the Guardian alleging police prevented him doing his job and attacked him, leaving him with a broken arm. He said he was furious at his treatment by officers, who appeared to be lost in a "red mist" of anger. "I covered the poll tax riots," he said. He said what happened in the City made those riots "look like a Sunday afternoon picnic".

Other complaints also emerged today about the organisation of the summit itself after a second anti-poverty group said it had been refused entry to the G20 conference.

War on Want, and the World Development Movement, had both gained approval to attend the event. WDM said yesterday its accreditation had been withdrawn, and War on Want said it had also been prevented from sending a representative today.

John Hilary, executive director of War on Want, told the Guardian he had gone to the ExCeL Centrethis morning this morning to attend the summit only to learn he was no longer accredited. At first the organisers told him this was due to a "computer glitch" but inquiries revealed he had been barred, he said. He added he did not know if No 10 or the Foreign Office was responsible. "It's certainly someone within the government who clearly feels there's a need to keep out groups who will stand up for the people they represent," he said.

However, the Foreign Office said neither group had been deliberately barred and the event had been oversubscribed.