2009-03-27
By Stephen Wright
Protesters plan to use Google Streetview and the micro-blogging site Twitter to cause mayhem at next week's G20 summit in London.
Protest organisers say the Internet will help them prepare for a series of rallies to coincide with the meeting of world leaders.
The new tactics emerged as the head of Scotland Yard warned of an influx of international extremists.
Google Streetview is helping protesters plan mayhem at next week's G20 summit in London. Pictured is on potential target, The Bank of England
Sir Paul Stephenson said 'old faces' from British protest groups - thought to be behind earlier anti-globalisation riots - were also expected in London.
Activists have dubbed April 1 Financial Fools Day and are planning to march on the Bank of England, the European Climate Exchange in Bishopsgate and the U.S. embassy. At least 2,000 demonstrators are expected.
All police leave in the capital has been cancelled and thousands of officers have been drafted in from other forces as security chiefs prepare for an ' unprecedented level of protests'.
U.S. President Barack Obama will be making his first visit to the UK since being elected and there will be hundreds of other VIPs and delegates.
Meetings of the G7 and G8 groups of leading economic powers in other countries have been marked by rioters trashing city centres and large-scale battles between protesters and police.
A police diving team carry out a security search of the Royal Victoria Dock, London, ahead of next week's G20 summit at the nearby Excel Centre
The first demonstration in London will come tomorrow with 'Earth Hour' - targeting City firms that fail to turn off their lights by 8.30pm.
Organisers say every office block in London with lights on will be fair game and have warned that they are prepared to break in and put the lights out themselves.
The protest group Climate Camp has already released a map of potential targets in the City for its demonstration on April 1, including the Royal Bank of Scotland, carbon offset and trading companies and 'green-washing' PR firms.
It said that if the police prevented people from safely setting up a camp in the City, there will be 'multiple simultaneous actions' all over the area.
'Organisers are not only using existing social networking websites such as Facebook to mobilise, but are even using some of their own,' it added.
Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Paul admitted that the prospect of thousands of troublemakers descending on the capital was a 'challenge' for his force but insisted they were up to the job.
A massive security operation will be launched to throw a ring of steel around the Excel conference centre in the Docklands as well as to protect the hotels where the VIPs will be staying and the venues where they will be attending functions.
The Home Office has agreed to pay around £2million of the Met's estimated £7.2million costs in policing the event. Scotland Yard has had only two months to prepare for the summit, which was hastily arranged in January.
Sir Paul told the Metropolitan Police Authority: 'We are extremely experienced in this kind of operation, but it's fair to say this will be one of, if not the most, challenging and complex we have ever had to deal with. I do believe we have the right expertise, but that expertise will be challenged.
'As always, we will seek to facilitate lawful demonstration while focusing on any illegality. We are speaking to most of the protest groups and there are some who are not as keen to talk to us as others.'
Commander Simon O'Brien said police were monitoring social networking sites to keep track of potential trouble and demonstrations-around the 20 summit. All 2,600 special constables have been called up to the front line along with reinforcements from Essex, Sussex and Bedfordshire.
Thousands of protesters are expected to travel from mainland Europe and other G20 countries. French Left-wing groups alone expect to send at least 1,000, while a German group has called for a 'massive presence to combat capitalism and militarism'.
