THOUSANDS JOIN MASKED MARCH
THOUSANDS of masked protesters descended on central London last night for the annual Million Mask March. Wearing trademark Guy Fawkes masks, supporters of the mysterious hacking collective Anonymous descended on Trafalgar Square as scores of police officers maintained a tight perimeter.
The protest is one of many similar marches held worldwide on November 5. Its agenda is broadly anticapitalism and pro-civil liberties.
Ugly scenes marred last year’s march, with missiles and fireworks thrown at police, leaving four officers injured. The Metropolitan Police imposed restrictions on this year’s event amid concerns over any repeat of the disorder.
Police imposed conditions on the march, limiting it to a three-hour period between 6pm and 9pm on a prescribed route between Trafalgar Square and Whitehall.
Any static protest was told it could only take place in Trafalgar Square, Richmond Terrace and Parliament Square, and the Met warned that anyone breaching the conditions could be arrested for public order offences.
Nearly 20,000 people had indicated they would attend on the event’s Facebook page, which warned “the police are not your friends”.
The protest began peacefully, with several participants climbing the base of Nelson’s column and chanting the slogan “one solution, revolution”.
One woman on a loudspeaker warned “there may be kettling” as the procession along Whitehall began.
Angela Windsor, an unemployed 40-year-old, said she travelled from Wales to take part in the event.
She said: “Nobody is protecting people – nobody cares.
“I think everyone here cares enough about people to make the effort to come down and try and do something, because the officials aren’t doing it.”
She said anyone who tried to incite a repeat of last year’s violent displays would be missing the point.
“Nobody wants a fight, we just want change,” she said.
But she was forced to defend the wording of a sign she was brandishing – including the words “death to the monarchy” – when questioned about it by passers-by.
There were angry scenes as the procession continued, with police forming a ring of steel outside Parliament.
Officers stood firm, telling the protesters to stay within the boundaries.
The Met said there had been 10 arrests as of 7pm, including one for possession of an offensive weapon, six for drugs and two for the non-removal of a face mask.