LONDON G20 PROTESTS TURNS VIOLENT

Masked anarchists have stormed a branch of the Royal Bank of Scotland in the City of London as the G20 protests turned violent.
More than 4,000 demonstrators, most of them peaceful, gathered near the Bank of England to demand action from world leaders. But several hundred clashed with police, who were pelted with eggs, paint bombs and empty beer cans.


Scotland Yard responded by cordoning off streets and sending in riot police and officers on horseback. There were 19 arrests for offences such as violent disorder, threatening behaviour and breach of the peace.
The day began with marches from Cannon Street, Liverpool Street, Moorgate and London Bridge, led by effigies of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.
As the lines of protesters walked peacefully towards the Bank of England, City workers were seen waving £10 notes at them from office windows above.
Political protesters carrying banners marked "Balls to the Banks" and "Punish the looters" were joined by workers who had lost their jobs in the recession.
When the four processions converged on the roads around the Bank at around midday, the atmosphere turned menacing.


Police closed off nearby streets to stop anyone leaving the area as small groups of protesters began charging police lines.
To cheers from parts of the crowd, a handful of men with black scarves obscuring their faces and hoods over their heads smashed a hole in the windows with a metal pole and crawled in.
Police entered the branch at around 2pm and shortly afterwards began driving demonstrators away from the building. An RBS spokeswoman said the branch was closed on Wednesday and there was no-one inside.