Protests began in a carnival spirit, but then the mood turned ugly and buildings were trashed and cars set on fire: Human chains were formed around the treasury and demonstrators abseiled down Tower Bridge

John Vidal and Libby Brooks
Saturday June 19, 1999

A long day of carnival and peaceful protest against world debt, the arms trade and financial institutions turned into a riot yesterday afternoon as demonstrators trashed a McDonald's, wrecked part of the Futures Exchange, set fire to a bank, and destroyed cars and empty flats in the City of London.

In some of the worst public disorder since the 1990 Trafalgar Square poll tax riots, many people were injured as the police used water cannon and baton-charged up to 2,000 mostly peaceful demonstrators on horseback. By early evening, there were running battles in side streets with a hard core of protesters hurling stones and bottles, breaking into buildings, throwing out files, setting fire to papers and breaking ground floor windows.

Earlier in the day peaceful human chains had been formed around the treasury and protesters had abseiled down Tower Bridge. Banners were hung from office blocks, and more than 3,000 people danced and partied for three hours near Liverpool Street station.

The uncoordinated day of action across London by up to 40 different groups, mostly concerned about economic unfairness in poor countries, was timed to coincide with the start of the G8 world leaders' conference in Cologne.

It began with 250 cyclists bringing City traffic to a standstill in the morning rush hour. By 10.30am, nearly 100 activists representing Campaign Against the Arms Trade were protesting around banks and investment houses. Many workers had been given the day off and firms had advised staff not to wear suits.

Walking into NatWest, Lloyds, and Friends Provident, they handed out leaflets to staff and customers, and tried to padlock themselves to bank furniture. Others scaled the Friends Provident building, unfurling a huge banner. Campaigners said that they aimed to bring home to those involved at every level of the financial industry the implications of their involvement with the arms trade.

Inside Lloyds bank in Cheapside and the NatWest bank, protesters attached themselves with bicycle locks, remaining inside for over three hours, while the bank was forced to close to customers.

Later in the morning, in Parliament Square, banging drums and shrieking whistles accompanied the formation of a human chain against world debt which encircled the treasury.

By lunchtime, more than 3,000 people had gathered in Liverpool Street station, where, led a samba band, they entertained City workers by crawling over the marble facades of the insurance houses, dancing in the sunshine and waving flags.

But the party turned ugly after lunch when protesters walked down London Wall and were blocked by police. Three riot police vans were immediately surrounded, with demonstrators dancing on top of them. The police retreated at speed, running over one woman. Demonstrators sat down in front of police vans. One man was injured after he fell in front of a police van.

By 4pm the McDonald's restaurant in Cannon Street had been gutted, with chairs ripped out, glass broken, graffiti daubed on walls and food thrown in the street. After a Mercedes and a Jaguar were wrecked, several hundred people then broke into the Futures Exchange, breaking all the glass in the lobby and damaging the escalators.

With trading for the day on the point of finishing, 400 people were evacuated from the building. A spokesman for LIFFE (the London International Finance, Futures and Options Exchange) said: "We were advised to evacuate to protect lives."

Police brought in heavy reinforcements and tried to move the protesters towards the Thames. A series of mounted charges scattered the crowd. As people were moved on, a hard core of militants broke into empty apartments and smashed windows, while police reoccupied the Normand bank, where a small fire had been started.

The battles raged down Broken Wharf and Upper Thames Street with several hundred police charging every few minutes on horse and foot. A car was set on fire, and more damage to property was done.

Lord Peter Levine, lord mayor of London, last night blamed drink and a hard core of protesters for the damage. "These people, many with sincere points to make, allied themselves to a mob. The whole point they were trying to make has been lost.