Police were attacked as they helped dying man at G20 protests in City

g20_article_a__02_513800a Police officers came under attack while they tried to help a dying man at the G20 protests in the City last night.

The victim was found by a member of the public unconscious in the street near the Bank of England just before 7.30pm yesterday.

A spokesman for the Metropolitan Police said officers arrived on the scene to help and had to move the casualty away for urgent treatment after bottles were thrown at them by protesters.

The man was eventually pronounced dead at hospital. According to one protester at the scene he was in his 30s and died of natural causes. Ninety people were arrested during a first day of protest marking the summit.

The Met Police spokesman said: “A member of the public went to a police officer on a cordon in Birchin Lane, junction with Cornhill to say that there was a man who had collapsed round the corner.

“That officer sent two police medics through the cordon line and into St Michael’s Alley where they found a man who had stopped breathing.”

Police moved him to an area outside the Royal Exchange Building where they attempted resuscitation.

The spokesman g20_slideshowe_01_513794aadded: “The officers took the decision to move him as during this time a number of missiles – believed to be bottles – were being thrown at them.”

London Ambulance Service said “extensive efforts” were made to resuscitate the man both at the scene and on the way to hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The Directorate of Professional Standards at both the Metropolitan Police and City of London Police have been informed. The Independent Police Complaints Commission will also be notified.

Police are braced for more G20 violence today. Commander Simon O’Brien of the Metropolitan Police warned there may be more clashes between officers and demonstrators as their focus moves to the summit meeting itself at the Excel Centre in London’s Docklands.

Masked anarchists smashed their way into a Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) branch in central London yesterday and police chiefs said officers faced “high levels of violence” in isolated incidents throughout the day.
Masked anarchists smashed their way into a Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) branch in Central London yesterday and police chiefs said officers faced “high levels of violence” in isolated incidents throughout the day.

There were at least 87 arrests, including four for violent disorder, six public order offences and 11 for possessing a police uniform.

Four people arrested yesterday had since been charged. Three face a charge of possessing a bladed weapon, and one is charged with assault.

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Today, demonstrators will also converge on the London Stock Exchange, but all eyes will be on the meeting of world leaders at the Excel Centre where protesters will be met with an extensive security operation.

Yesterday, an angry mob trashed equipment, daubed graffiti on the walls and threw a chair through a window after more than 4,000 demonstrators, most of them peaceful, gathered near the Bank of England to demand action from world leaders.

Mr O’Brien, a member of the Met’s command team for the G20 security operation, said that small pockets of criminals were responsible for the outbreaks of trouble and would be tracked down.

But he added that the vast majority of participants were good-humoured. Speaking at New Scotland Yard, the senior officer said that some of the apparent ringleaders were followed by helicopter as they left flashpoints yesterday.

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“As we went on it was clear there were people within the group that were first of all involved in juvenile and puerile behaviour,” he said.

“That started to escalate into quite provocative behaviour towards police lines. There were small groups charging forwards and backwards into police lines.

“It did seem to us from CCTV and police on the scene that they tried to find a way to ramp up the protest and hijack it into violence.”

Mr O’Brien said that police collected footage from “helitelly”, the force’s nickname for CCTV from powerful helicopter cameras.

“We started to see a good deal more violence coming from small groups in the crowd,” he said.

“Clear attacks on police line, clear attacks on police by protesters and completely unprovoked.

“Then we saw a determined attack on the RBS where at least three plate-glass windows were broken.

“There was a clear attempt to throw lighted material in that premises and we saw small amounts of minor thefts from the premises.”

The Met said that people identified as being part of the violent clashes should expect a “knock on the door”.

Among the other arrests were two people held for aggravated burglary, and another for arson, over the raid on the RBS building. Others were held for public order offences, threatening behaviour, possession of drugs, violent disorder and brbs_lob_513849alocking a road.

The eleven people arrested in connection with possessing police uniforms were held after the garments were found in the back of an armoured vehicle.

Senior officers said that one police officer was treated in hospital after suffering a blow to the head. Seven protesters were also taken to hospital.

Stuart Fraser, of the City of London Corporation, praised the police action and said that the officers were “handling a tricky job very well”.

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