By Daily Mail Reporter
Last updated at 5:18 PM on 27th March 2011
- Unions vow to continue protests despite violence
- Youths smash up the Ritz and invade Fortnums
- Police hold 200 protesters in custody
- More than 30 police officers injured in violent clashes
- Lightbulbs filled with ammonia hurled at officers
A major clean-up operation was under way today to repair the damage to some of Britain's top landmarks after extremists brought violent chaos to central London.
Workers scrubbed Trafalgar Square, where the famous lions had been graffitied and daubed with paint as anarchists ran wild during an anti-cuts protest.
Slogans including 'Tory scum' and 'fight back' were scrawled on the statues, and red paint had been hurled at the 2012 Olympic countdown clock.
Unions chiefs today vowed to continue their protests despite the way they are being hijacked by anarchists, although they did condemn the violence.
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Clean-up: Contractors repair the damage at Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly, London, just hours after protesters clashed with police
Clear-up: Workers repair damaged Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly, London, after activists clashed with riot police last night in the wake of the TUC rally in Hyde Park, which had earlier passed off peacefully
Staff at Fortnum and Mason, where protesters had climbed on the roof and invaded the shop floor, were busy repairing the damage to its wooden frontage.
More than 200 people are in custody following the attacks yesterday, which were perpetrated by splinter groups from a massive demonstration against the Government's spending plans.
There were more than 80 people injured and at least 84 police officers were hurt, with 11 requiring hospital treatment.
Tourists were appalled by the action. John Williamson, 60, from Whitehaven, Cumbria, said: 'I think it's embarrassing for the country. There's so many tourists here. What are they going to think?'
Labour figures came to the defence of leader Ed Miliband today over his controversial decision to address the anti-cuts rally in Hyde Park but there was said to be unease at his involvement.
Smashed: Pedestrians past a boarded up Santander the day after masked youths battled riot police and attacked the bank
Disrespect: One of the lions in Trafalgar Square after the clashes
TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber today branded the cuts 'deep, rapid and unfair' and spoke of his pride at how the protest largely passed off peacefully.
'Of course we condemn the small numbers who came looking for violence but we will not allow their actions away from our event to detract from our campaign,' he said.
GMB leader Paul Kenny said the local elections on May 5 should be a referendum on the Government's economic and social policies.
'GMB will urge voters to reject unemployment, poverty and cuts in public services. We will ask them to support an end to tax evasion by the super-rich and multi national companies and support a financial transaction tax. These two measures alone will raise at least 40 billion,' he claimed.
We want voters to support curbs and controls on the excesses of the bankers and the elite, and for measures to grow the economy to get the unemployed back to work and paying taxes.'
Shadow defence secretary Jim Murphy condemned those involved in the violence as a 'tiny minority of violent, parasitic unrepresentative hooligans' but supported Mr Miliband's decision to speak.
Spray paint: Contractors were forced to clean off graffiti daubed on a window in London. 84 people were injured during the demonstrations - including at least 31 police officers
Statues in Trafalgar Square and the Olympic countdown clock were defaced during the riots
Banks were among the main targets due to anger over the credit crunch
Meanwhile, deputy mayor of London Kit Malthouse defended the police response amid questions about whether they could have done more to protect buildings.
He said: 'The truth is the police did a huge amount of work with businesses in the West End, and indeed preparing for the event. We put 4,500 police officers out there ... but it was a very, very fast-moving afternoon.
'I counted these anarchists myself. They were a nasty bunch of black-shirted thugs on Piccadilly and it was pretty obvious that they were intent on rampaging around and would be very difficult to control.
'In the end they were contained ... there is a difficult balance because they were intermingling with, and were in amongst, getting on for 400,000 TUC protesters.
'Without disrupting the march it would have been very difficult to isolate them and take them out. The truth is the police had to respond to when criminal damage was done and they did so.'
He added: 'We need to learn the lessons to make sure it doesn't happen again but also recognise that when you get a group of fascist agitators who want a fight there is not a lot you can do about it other than confront them.'
But former Met deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick said there were not enough officers 'in the right place at the right time' and suggested intelligence had not been heeded.
Several splinter groups brought chaos and violence to what was the largest public protest since the 2003 anti-Iraq war rally.
Some were hellbent on storming – or destroying – any London landmarks synonymous with luxury or money. Others targeted companies associated with tax avoidance.
Police officers stand in front of a fire lit by demonstrators after a protest organised by the Trades Union Congress. After the peaceful march involving up to 500,000 people violence flared as night time descended
Ritzkreig: A masked demonstrator wearing black hurls a road sign through the window of the Ritz hotel in central London
Hundreds laid siege to The Ritz hotel, attacking it with paint and smokebombs. A Porsche showroom was also smashed up and upmarket department store Fortnum & Mason was occupied by about 1,000 activists.
On the streets outside, anarchists battled police. Some officers in Oxford Street were attacked with lightbulbs filled with ammonia, a sinister new weapon that can be assembled by following simple instructions on the internet. Other officers were hit with paint and flying bottles.
They were attacked as they tried to stop demonstrators smashing their way into banks and shops.
The protesters surged along Piccadilly, Regent Street and Oxford Street, chanting 'welfare not warfare' as they blocked traffic and forced shops to close.
Paint, fireworks and flares were thrown at buildings, while the outnumbered police were attacked with large pieces of wood.
Branches of HSBC, RBS, Santander and Topshop were among those to have their windows smashed.
The police often had to step aside as the activists continued their destruction late into the evening.
Scotland Yard commander Bob Broadhurst said of the rioters: 'I wouldn't call them protesters. They are engaging in criminal activities for their own ends. We'll never have enough officers to protect every building in Central London.'
In stark contrast, the daytime demonstration was hailed a 'fantastic success' by trade unions as people from across the UK marched through central London.
Defiant: A flare is lit in Trafalgar Square last night. In total 201 people were arrested on the day of action, the Met Police said
Flashback: Protesters occupy the department store during the 'March for the Alternative' demonstration less than 24 hours beforehand
A paint splattered police officers look on during clashes outside Top Shop on Oxford Street, during marches in protest at government cuts
Organisers estimated between 400,000 and 500,000 teachers, nurses, firefighters, council and NHS workers, other public sector employees, students, pensioners and campaign groups converged on the capital.
Campaign group UK Uncut claimed around 200 of its supporters forced themselves into luxury store Fortnum and Mason - known as the Queen's grocer.
A spokesman for the demonstrators said the target was chosen because 'they dodge tens of millions in tax'.
Commander Broadhurst, who led the police operation, added that video evidence would be used in an attempt to make arrests in the coming days.
Between 200 and 300 people were still in Trafalgar Square late into the night, with some throwing missiles and attempting to damage the Olympic clock within the square.
The suspects are being held in 21 police stations across London. The Metropolitan Police are now reviewing evidence collected from CCTV cameras and officers.
A spokesman said officers had 'come under sustained attack' as they tried to deal with the disorder and attempted criminal damage, with officers using 'containment' tactics in a bid to manage those congregating. The area was eventually cleared by around 2.45am.
'A large number from the crowd are throwing missiles and have attempted to damage the Olympic clock within the square,' he said.
'Officers have come under sustained attack as they deal with the disorder and attempted criminal damage.'
All of the injuries were described as 'relatively minor'.
TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said he 'bitterly regretted' the violence, adding that he hoped it would not detract from the massive anti-cuts protest.
'I don't think the activities of a few hundred people should take the focus away from the hundreds of thousands of people who have sent a powerful message to the Government today,' Mr Barber said.
'Ministers should now seriously reconsider their whole strategy after last night's demonstration. This has been Middle Britain speaking,' he added.
Mr Barber said unions would now step up pressure on the Government, especially MPs in their constituencies, and launch a series of protests next week in defence of the NHS.
Union officials and Labour leader Ed Miliband condemned the 'brutal' cuts in jobs and services.
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