G20 Protestors Attempt to Shut Down London

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On Tuesday, April 1, as a reaction to the G20 summit and the world's economic crisis, thousands of people converged upon London to protest economic policies, the environment, unemployment, and dissatisfaction with world leadership. As I walked up Bishopsgate Road toward work this morning, the beginnings of the protest, which started about 11 a.m., were already visible. A large number of businessmen and women were dressed down in an effort to detract attention, a huge surge of cyclists pedaled in for the protests and police officers stood prepared to manage the demonstrations.

As the morning progressed, we heard snippets of news throughout the office. The more violent events were taking place at the Royal Bank of Scotland near the Bank of England. Glass was broken and protesters conflicted with police. All of this news made us wonder what sort of chaos was going on elsewhere. At lunch, around 2 p.m., two colleagues and I walked down Bishopsgate to see what all the fuss was about.

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What we found was not a violent riot, but a peaceful demonstration called Climate Camp. A huge section of one of the City's major streets was closed off because a huge number of people had pitched tents in their protest of global climate policy. One group of people sat near a tree on the sidewalk meditating, a few protestors played a rhythmic drum number, and others did yoga in the middle of the street. The protestors had drawn chalk designs and protests on the sidewalk, and many carried signs protesting climate change, such as "Nature doesn't offer a bailout." The protest was peaceful and meaningful, unlike the meaningless window smashing that we had seen on the news.

The Climate Camp has pitched tents because it means to stay throughout the G20 Summit to ensure that its voice is heard.Further down the street, where the larger and less stable protest was happening in front of the Bank of England and the Royal Bank of Scotland, was more difficult to access.

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We made it as far as the square before the Bank before we hit a barrier of police
officers. Above the heads of the small crowd that had gathered around, we could see riot police mounted on horseback, so it was clear that law enforcement wasn't taking any chances.

The area was still an unusual sight. In an effort to see better, several people had climbed on top of statues, and sat drinking beers and enjoying the view.

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Across the street, four people sat perched atop the ledge above the doorway of a stone building, a sight that completely undermined the usual formality of the area. Though a number of people were hoping for riots and violence, the demonstrations today remained mostly peaceful. The face of the City seemed different with so many intruders. The streets, usually packed with cars, were silent. Business people and protesters alike walked freely down Bishopsgate as though it were a sidewalk. The air was tense, but passionate. Though we cannot tell whether or not the voices will be heard, they were certainly speaking loudly.