Violence which followed a day of anti-spending cuts protests in London has been condemned by union leaders.

Hours after a peaceful march to Hyde Park, there were clashes between police and protesters in Trafalgar Square.

The TUC said the activities of a few hundred people should not detract from the main message of the official protest, which it said was attended by "between 250,000 and 500,000 people".

Police said a total of 201 arrests had been made during the day.
'Clock attack'

The arrests were largely for a variety of public order offences, they said. In addition, 66 people were reported to have been injured, including at least 31 police officers, 11 of whom required hospital treatment. The injuries were described as relatively minor.

Police would be studying photographs and CCTV footage and may make more arrests, said the BBC's Daniel Boettcher.

Commander Bob Broadhurst, who was in charge of the Metropolitan Police operation, said his officers had to deal with "mindless yobs" in and around Trafalgar Square in central London.

"We've had a number of - I hesitate to call them protesters - a bunch of people that ended up in Trafalgar Square," he said.

"All was peaceful for quite a long while but then for some reason one of them made an attack on the Olympic [countdown] clock, we moved in to make an arrest, the next minute they're attacking us and they're trying to attack and damage the Olympic clock in Trafalgar Square."

Commander Broadhurst said a group of about 100-150 people had run off, ripping open litter bins and throwing bottles and bricks at police.
Restore order

He added: "This is just mindless vandalism, hooliganism, it's nothing to do with protest."

The trouble began after demonstrators broke away from the main march and headed towards the shopping district in London's West End.

A group of about 500 people gathered in Oxford Street, before targeting fashion chain Topshop's flagship store and the banks Santander, HSBC and RBS.

Anti-cuts group UK Uncut occupied luxury grocery store Fortnum and Mason in Piccadilly in protest over alleged tax avoidance by the business's owners.

Later in the evening, the protests moved to Trafalgar Square where police kettled demonstrators while they tried to restore order.

One of the people caught up in the trouble in Trafalgar Square, named Sophie, gave an account of events.
'Kicked off'

She said: "All of a sudden about 10-20 Met police came storming down the steps of the National Gallery, ran straight to the Olympic clock.

"I have never seen such a fast escalation of violence in my life. Everything just kicked off, glass everywhere, police hitting people, people being dragged across the floor. I just can't believe it."

After a few hours of containment by police, during which people in the square were allowed to leave only in small groups via its north-eastern corner, there were just a few protesters remaining. BBC Radio 5 live's Dotun Adebayo reported that the square was completely calm after 0200 BST.

Labour leader Ed Miliband, who spoke at the earlier rally, said there was "no excuse" for the violent scenes.

"I unequivocally condemn those who have committed acts of violence," he said.

Policing minister Nick Herbert said "a small minority of individuals were intent on disorder".

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-12873191

If Belfast is any lesson, you make the majority of your arrests afterwards... I mean who'd have thought a section of a crowd that had been 'kettled' would turn nasty once arrests started, or given the opportunity?

This was just like Tunisia and Egypt, gathering in a major square demanding regime change. Police came in and beat up protestors, straight out of Gadhaffis terror book. Well done Dave and Nick.

0.1% of the total number of people who turned up during the day arrested. Better than a normal Friday night for arrests.

Yes it is being reported out of all proportions.

My boss was there, nearly got hit by a molotov cocktail near Fortnums, apparently.
She did say that although the thugs were out in force, they at least had the good manners to wait for the family groups to pass before kicking off.
Which was nice.

Like I say the % of arrests in relation to the numbers there is actually less than a standard night for a town with a similar population.

Arses will kick off, nothing to do with the demonstrations. Then the Police go in and they set each other off and people panic when kettled.

The level and amount of violence has been overblown by the media. Repeating footage of the odd twat kicking off gets annoying.

It's annoying isn't it? I don't think any journalist can have seen Burnley town centre on a Saturday night.

What I find most annoying is when the yobs destroy things that belong to all of us, instead of hurting only the rich and the ruling elite. It's not the yobbishness of it that grates but rather the unthinking pointlessness.

For instance, why vandalise the Olympic countdown clock? It may be pointless plastic tat but we all paid for that tat you knobhead. So when you vandalise it, you're attacking stuff that belongs to everybody. That's not a political statement; that's just acting like a cock. If you're going to vandalise sh*t, go and attack something that only rich people will miss.

Tit.

There were some sit ins at various places and Fortnum & Mason might have been one, but these were very peaceful and not violent at all. Over reaction by the police has lead to the huge numbers injured. Several hundred demonstrators and just over a dozen police, gives an indication of how aggressive the police must have been.

Aye and the numbers seem larger because of all of the photographers and Police just stood there watching them.

They were so close to Belgravia (full of rich people) that they could have run amok there.

Being in central London today I saw a lot of the left-overs from the violent parts of the demo, what a pointless waste. But I don't think that condoning any sort of vandalism is good and it certainly won't help the right to peaceful protest in the future.

A general strike is already illegal.

You can see why some people do it, the Police just stand there and watch, the photographers take pictures and 24 hour news plays it on a rolling loop. We're all complicit to a degree.

The thing is just over 100 have been charged so far, 0.05% of the number on the march. Why we're spending time talking about it and not the march si ridiculous.

I was in town on Saturday afternoon, and it all seemed peaceful enough then - there were many of the great-unwashed swigging on booze with only one real purpose - but that's expected. That said, I couldn't help but sneer at it all, with all of it's contrived posturing and bandwagon jumping, finger pointing hypocrisy.

I almost added to the arrest statistics myself - but chose to move on from my rest spot in Soho Square instead of smacking a guy who I had watched fuss and fret over his ugly cherub child's "muddy" hands before casting into the flowers said devil spawn's flag "because it was dirty". That angered me more than anything that day.

But yesterday was worse, my Polish guests wanted to see Trafalgar which, because of the march the day before, had been tricky to get to - so we went. But it was depressing. It's depressing enough as it is, treeless and swollen with horrible, vapid, loitering tourists - but when I noted Nelson's column had been spray painted my heart just sank. And I asked that we move on. I wasn't upset with what the protesters had done - per say - I knew that they'd resort to such fickle, misguided gestures - and I can't pretend I don't agree with "people power" and the turning of the worm - so that much I forgave, however much it turned my stomach. No, what upset me more, was why, in the cover of the morning's darkeness, had no one cleaned it off? Why Westminster had not actioned a whitewash of the Saturday proceedings and returned the monuments to achievement to their rightful grace? A quick scrub and normality is returned. Tourists unaware of the Saturday visting on the Sunday would not think "how odd, that statue there has been left to ruin" - and would not have seen a proud Englishmen sink away dejected and upset by the actions of his compatriots.

I was near the front of the march so missed the riot completely. Didn't find out about it until I got back to the bus coming back.
The section of the march I was on passed comepletely peacefully and, at the time, the police were taking a fairly hands-off approach. They obviously had a lot of armoured up bods in vans just off the route ready to charge in.

As usual, the actions of a mindless minority overshadow the majority