2009-03-31

ANARCHY BACK IN THE UK

Rent-a-mob hooligans from the 2001 May Day riots as well as French anarchist group Anarcho-Autonomist - notorious for their black masks - are also thought be organising violence ahead of the April 2 gathering of world leaders.

Class War founder Ian Bone bragged on his blog: "We hope to control large parts of Central London. Whether it kicks off depends on numbers.

"The Poll Tax riots were all about 50,000 people who wanted a punch-up. This feels like that."

Meanwhile, the Wombles have urged hooligans to "storm the banks".

Red phone boxes were yesterday removed from the capital's streets to prevent them being wrecked, while potential targets such as The Ritz hotel were boarded up.

Police have also beefed up security at today's Oxford-Cambridge university boat race after threats on an anarchist website.

Commander Bob Broadhurst - in charge of organising policing of the demonstrations - said: "What we are seeing is unprecedented planning among protest groups.

"We're seeing some of the protesters and groups that we last saw in the late Nineties coming back to the fore.

"We're starting to see new alliances - they may well be temporary but are coming together - of anarchists, antiglobalists and environmentalists plotting and planning what they're going to do on April 1."

Police fear a repeat of the violence that marred the May Day antiglobalisation protests of 2000 and 2001.

Small groups of anarchists broke away from peaceful marches to smash shop windows and deface war memorials with graffiti.

More than 3,000 police officers from five different forces will be on duty as politicians from the world's 20 most powerful nations meet this week to discuss the global financial crisis.

Even moderate groups that have formed the G20 Meltdown coalition of protest organisations are encouraging some form of direct action. Green campaigners Climate Camp have issued leaflets urging activists to storm the hotels where the world's leaders will be staying to "bang on doors... and deliver a message to the world beyond capitalism".

But more extremist groups are whipping followers up into a frenzy and urging them to battle police.

Bone, who started anarchist mob Class War in the 1980s before it was disbanded in 1997, wrote on his blog: "The cops are hyped to f*** and determined to frighten people from coming and are likely to behave illegally.

"In our turn we must be determined and resolute to resist such open intimidation. Seize the day, comrades!"

And Wombles - who wear white overalls during actions to disguise their identities - are also openly inciting unrest.

It urged on its website: "Let's make this a chance for a fundamental change in society.

"Let's reclaim the history of working class struggle for a new free world, for a global human community fit for all, not the undeserving rich elite who are happy to see our lives ruined if it means that they stay in charge and at the top.

"Join thousands of disgruntled, angry, p*****-off people on the streets of the financial district.

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"As the bankers continue to cream off billions of pounds of our money let's put the call out: Reclaim the money, storm the banks and send them packing."

Peaceful mainstream activists will also use the protests to get across their political message.

Climate Camp activists will gather in London's financial district to demand that the world reverts to more "sustainable living".

Cyclists' group Critical Mass, the Campaign Against Climate Change and Plane Stupid, which opposes airport expansion, will also demonstrate.

However, anti-climate change campaigners Rising Tide boasted on their website yesterday that April 1 would be the "day of resistance" and it would see the group "pull a prank that packs a punch".

WHO ARE THEY?

Class War: Set up in 1983, rose to prominence at Poll Tax protests in 1990, describing rioters as "working-class heroes". Fractured and split in 1997

Wombles: (White Overalls Movement Building Libertarian Effective Struggles), a loose-knit anti-capitalist group which took part in the 2001 May Day riots.

Whitechapel Anarchist Group (WAG): Formed in East London last year, credited with the slogan "Storm the Banks".

Anarcho-Autonomists: French group took part in G8 protests in Poland in 2007 in their trademark black masks. Last year, 10 10 members were arrested for vandalising TGV train lines.

THIS WEEK

Wednesday

G20 Meltdown protest

11am: Green groups, peace campaigners, communists and anarchists to march on Bank of England for protest.

12.30pm: Climate Camp to occupy European Climate Exchange.

2pm: Stop The War and CND to hold rally at US Embassy before heading to Trafalgar Square.

Thursday

G20 summit,

ExCeL centre in Docklands

5-7am: Various groups to march on politicians' hotels.

1pm: Stop The War protesters to meet near ExCel centre.

Source: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2009/03/29/anarchy-back-in-the-uk-115875-21236624/