Panic as protest turns purple

Recalling 2004, 1994, and 1984

Prime Minister’s Questions was interrupted in May 2004 when Tony Blair was attacked in the House of Commons by protesters armed with purple powder, sparking security fears. However, the substance turned out to be flour, thrown by protesters from the Fathers 4 Justice group. And Piers Morgan was sacked from his post as editor of the Daily Mirror after the paper published faked pictures of Iraqi prisoner abuse. He later denied being involved in the phone hacking scandal which took place during his time in the post.

In 1994 Camelot won the contract to host the National Lottery,beatingoffabidfrom‘The People’s Lottery’ – formed by Sir Richard Branson, who had promisedtorunitonanot-for-profitbasis. And former CIA agent Aldrich Ameswasjailedforlifeafteradmitting selling secrets to the Soviet Union as well as Russia.

An explosion at a water treatment plant in Abbeystead, near Lancaster in 1984 led to the deaths of 16 people with dozens more injured. And policewoman Yvonne Fletcher was shot by a gunman at the Libyan Embassy in London, leading to a siege which ended 11 days later.