G8 protesters clash with cops
2005-07-05 08:21
Ed Johnson
Edinburgh - Hundreds of black-clad protesters scuffled with police in riot gear in the Scottish capital as campaigners stepped up pressure before the G8 summit.
Police wearing body armour and equipped with shields locked down entire streets on Monday in Edinburgh, penning in protesters with the help of officers mounted on horseback.
Demonstrators, along with what appeared to be local youths, ripped up sections of sidewalk and lobbed bricks at a line of officers clad in body armour and helmets in Rose Street, a normally chic lane of popular bars and cafes.
Police repeatedly charged the crowd using their shields to push protesters back, but came under a barrage of bottles and empty beer cans.
Despite the scuffles, police appeared firmly in control and said they made nearly 30 arrests.
Heightened police presence
Ian Dickinson, assistant chief constable, said several hundred protesters were intent on "inflicting mayhem on our community. They have been determined to challenge the community and the police force for their own selfish agenda, to inflict disruption and significant disorder," he said, and promised to "deal robustly" with demonstrators.
The demonstrators oppose the G8 and aim to stop the gathering of leaders of the world's major industrial nations, scheduled to take place at nearby Gleneagles from Wednesday.
At the Clyde Naval Base in western Scotland, about 450 demonstrators blocked the road, vowing to shut down the Trident nuclear submarine base for the day.
The Trident protesters, who stage the event every year, enjoyed heightened coverage this year because of the big media presence in Scotland for the G8.
"It is vitally important that people make the link between the industrial war machine and the poverty that so many people are suffering from around the world," said protester Jenny Gaiawyn, 26.
In Edinburgh, the "carnival for full enjoyment," organised by anti-G8 activists, brought several streets in the main shopping and financial districts to a standstill. Separate groups of up to 200 demonstrators roamed the city.
The main standoff was near the Sir Walter Scott monument by the main railway station, where riot police stood three-deep to stop protesters. Among the activists were people wearing military fatigues, many with painted faces and red noses, who described themselves as the "clandestine insurgent clown rebel army."
Some protesters kissed police riot shields, leaving lipstick marks.
One protester held up a banner outside Starbucks saying, "abolish capitalism before it kills the planet."
Intense security was evident in Auchterarder, the town nearest the Gleneagles Hotel where the G8 leaders will meet.
Minor roads were closed, and police roadblocks were set up around the hotel which is also protected by a 1.8m tall steel mesh fence. About 10 000 officers from all over the country are policing the event.
- AP