London Braces for Crippling Mass G20 Protests

Office staff warned of confrontation as City braces for mass G20 protests

Police forecast transport paralysis in capital as campaigners insist demonstrations against globalisation and climate change will be peaceful.


There are growing fears for the safety of people making their way to work on 1 and 2 April. A spokesman for the London Chamber of Commerce said: "Businesses might want to consider asking their staff not to dress in a suit and tie as a lot of the protesters say they're going to target bankers. Staff should check they have their security passes and think about staggering their start and finish times. They might want to postpone for a few days meetings which aren't absolutely necessary."

Transport could also be paralysed as anti-globalisation and climate change groups stage a coordinated series of demonstrations, gathering at railway stations and marching on the Square Mile for what has been dubbed "Financial Fools Day", the biggest public show of anger at bankers since the credit crisis began. They have already been undertaking practice runs and "recces" around the City in recent days.

Anti-capitalism groups believe the recession and spiralling unemployment will encourage an uprising not seen since the poll tax riots, causing embarrassment to Gordon Brown as he hosts world leaders. Chris Knight, of the leading protest group Government of the Dead, warned: "The revolution is coming. This is our time, and I honestly believe that the army, the police, will be so intent on keeping the ExCeL centre they will lose the City of London."

Businesses are braced for losses worth millions of pounds as commuters find themselves unable to reach offices or decide to stay at home. It will be the third major disruption in recent months following the extended Christmas break and the snowfall that wrought havoc.

A police operation involving more than 3,000 extra officers from six forces will cost an estimated £7.2m. Its leader, Commander Bob Broadhurst, said last week that activists are planning in an "unprecedented" way and are determined to "stop the City". He added that groups active in the late Nineties were re-emerging and forming new alliances. They are using technology such as Twitter feeds to mobilise in ways unthinkable only a decade ago.

"There will be a lot of people out there for whom this is the first opportunity to express their anger and look for another way of doing things. The anti-globalisation movement last time was doing it in the teeth of a boom. Now capitalism has floundered and people want an alternative to what we've had."

March 22, 2009

for complete article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/business/2009/mar/22/g20-anti-globalisation-protests