Europe Watch: Hundreds of Thousands in Protests in Britain and Germany (Guardian and Deutsche Welle)
Sunday, March 27, 2011 at 8:13
Photo: John Stillwell (PA)On Saturday, the biggest demonstration in London since the 2003 Iraq War denounced Governments cuts in funding and social services, while more than 200,000 took to the streets in German cities urging the Government to abandon nuclear power.
The Guardian --- which ran a LiveBlog on "The March for an Alternative" --- reports on the London protest, while Deutsche Welle brings news from Germany:
Anti-Cuts March Draws Hundreds of Thousands (The Guardian)
More than a quarter of a million people have marched through central London to deliver a powerful message about the government's cuts in public spending. The generally good-natured mood was soured by violent and destructive attacks on symbols of wealth including the Ritz, banks and a luxury car dealer, and an occupation of the upmarket food store Fortnum and Mason.
Trade union organisers said that the turnout had exceeded their expectations, and thousands had travelled by coach and by train from as far as Edinburgh to vent their anger at the government's cuts by marching through London to a rally in Hyde Park.
Dave Prentis, general secretary of Unison, the public service trade union, said that the turnout was "absolutely enormous and showed the anger of ordinary working people".
But the day was marred by a violent minority of anarchists who went on the rampage, smashing windows and attacking property around Oxford Street. Prentis said he regretted that the actions of "a few hundred" risked diverting attention from the message that the "political heat is rising on the government".
At one stage 13 shops in Oxford Street were closed following skirmishes between activists and riot police. Topshop --- owned by Sir Philip Green, who has been accused of tax avoidance --- and HSBC had windows smashed, while paint and bottles were thrown at a Royal Bank of Scotland branch. A dozen police officers were surrounded and beaten by a masked mob in Sackville Street, off Piccadilly.
Police said 211 people were arrested for offences including using threatening or insulting words or behaviour, criminal damage, aggravated trespass, violent disorder and for going equipped with intent to cause criminal damage. They said video evidence would be used to make further arrests.
Thirteen officers were injured, and one was among 16 people taken to hospital. A total of 66 people were treated for injuries. By mid-afternoon the main focus of police activity was a sit-in at the upmarket grocers Fortnum and Mason, organised by anti-tax evasion activist group UK Uncut. Hundreds of riot police sealed off the area.
Last night police appealed to people not involved in the disorder to leave Trafalgar Square as they came under increased bombardment from a group of protesters who said they planned to stay there all night. The protesters were throwing items such as coins and water bottles. Scotland Yard said that light bulbs filled with ammonia had also been thrown at officers earlier. But Commander Bob Broadhurst, the Scotland Yard officer in charge of policing the protests, said the TUC had done an excellent job in ensuring that the march was "very professional, very well prepared". But he said a hardcore element had been intent on making trouble.
Hundreds of Thousands Protest Against Nuclear Energy Across Germany (Deutsche Welle)
Over 200,000 protesters took to the streets in Cologne, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg to pressure the government into abandoning nuclear energy generation. The protests add to the pressure on Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Around 210,000 demonstrators in Cologne, Berlin, Munich and Hamburg vented their anger at the government's nuclear policy on Saturday, supported by Germany's umbrella union body, the DGB, as well as politicians from the opposition Greens and Social Democrats.
Alarmed by the nuclear crisis in Japan, environmental and religious groups as well as unions organized the demonstrations, which kicked off in Cologne's city center, where nearly 40,000 people turned up to support the cause.
Around 90,000 people took to the streets in Berlin while in Hamburg, organizers counted around 50,000 demonstrators and in Munich the figure was estimated at 30,000.
Organizers said they were the biggest anti-nuclear protests Germany has ever seen.
"The government must now respond with plans to switch off all atomic reactors," they insisted.
Speaking at the demonstration in Berlin, the head of the DGB union group, Michael Sommer, told the crowd: "We have to wean ourselves off nuclear energy in an orderly fashion."
"And to those in the nuclear industry and those who support atomic energy, let me say this: We've had enough of your lies, of your assurances and of your playing down of the dangers," he added.
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