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'Black Bloc' anarchists to hijack summit protests using shields and truncheons
Nigel Rosser and Robert Mendick23 Mar 2009
ANARCHISTS planning to hijack peaceful protests against the G20 summit in London are being led by a middle-class, university drop-out.
Alessio Lunghi, 30, who grew up in south London, is understood to be planning a "Black Bloc" to hijack G20 protests. The tactic is used to make it difficult for police to break up groups.
Black Bloc protesters - in black clothing, motorcycle helmets, steel-toed boots and often carrying shields and truncheons - create tight, hard-to-break blocks which can smash through police lines.
Police fear demonstrations could become violent. Mr Lunghi wrote in an email to activists last week: "We are their crisis. Reclaim the struggle for a global community fit for all, not the undeserving rich elite who are happy to see our lives ruined.
"As the bankers continue to cream off billions of pounds of our money let's put the call out, RECLAIM THE MONEY, storm the banks and send them packing."
Mr Lunghi is believed to be at the centre of plans to hijack a 50,000-strong anti-globalisation protest on 28 March in the City and again on 1 April. There is no suggestion he has ever been involved in violent acts but in 2005, before the G8 summit at Gleneagles, Mr Lunghi was asked at a protest planning meeting whether violence was likely. He is said to have replied: "I would hope so. There's no point going otherwise."
In 2003, Mr Lunghi, the son of an Italian wine importer, was one of the masterminds of that year's May Day protests which brought the centre of the capital to a standstill. A veteran of two other May Day riots and clashes in Prague and Genoa, he rose to the top of protest group the Wombles (White Overall Movement Building Liberation through Effective Struggle).
A security source said: "The idea that hardened anarchists are planning a sub-protest could pose a serious threat to public order."
Reader views (20)
Remember what the war Hawks said if you oppose the invasion of Iraq by the 'Coalition of the willing' ? Well you must be a supporter of Saddam Hussein and all his atrocites !!! Protesting at the G20 summit is quite possibly the most patroitic thing a citizen can do. If you think the G20 will find "a solution" then I have a bridge in Brooklyn I would like to sell you. Instead, I would like to remind you that civil disobedience is the very thing that seperates 'Us' from 'Them' If you truly believe in the cause you support, then you should not be threatened by protests, even protests on a massive scale.
- Eben Marlow, London UK, 28/03/2009 13:32
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John London - I believe it is a case of, "better to be seen, than not"
it is a talk shop, the world is getting poorer and the rich richer. The world is getting warmer, as well as my anger.
suppose your with the rich so you won't complain
- B.Silurian, the planet, 28/03/2009 12:56
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Billions of tax payers money is going on the G20, when the country is plagues with redundancy and unemployment it is the public who is footing the bill.
The media and police are very quick to point the finger at so called 'trouble makers' I thought the captialists, the bankers, the politicans are the REAL TROUBLEMAKERS.
People have the right to take back what is rightfully theirs....their lives, their voices and their freedom!!
its a time for people to get together and change society.
The government do not reflect the best wishes of the people they 'represent', they reflect the economy they want to increase and profit off while people in this country and countries all around the world suffer.
Sweatshops, poor working conditions, with everything going up in prices....the politicans and elite rich stay that way and the rest of society are affected.
its time to stay to together and mobilize!!!
- Anj, London, 24/03/2009 09:41
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Get a job, a life and contribute instead of relying on others to support you. When you actually realize that you are trying to penalize those that contribute more than the norm so you can bunk your fares on the trains and lounge in Universities for three years, perhaps you will rethink !!!
- Steve, London, 24/03/2009 07:59
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The G20 is meeting up in London to find a solution to the crisis. So I guess protesters are AGAINST finding a solution to the crisis?
- John, London, UK, 24/03/2009 05:01
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For the first time in my life I aprove of this demo againt the Labour government for taking us all for complete fools. We must show Brown and co we are not the idiots he thinks we are.
- Lemar, london, 23/03/2009 17:38
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Beware of causing too much unrest. The Civil Contingencies Act can be invoked to call a State of Emergency and democratic elections can be suspended!
This is at the whim of the Cabinet and will not need to be voted through Parliament.
Don't give Cillit Brown (Bang and the Cash is Gone!) the excuse he is seeking!!!!!
- Alan, Nantwich, Cheshire, 23/03/2009 17:35
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Many policemen who should do their job as "KEEPERS OF THE PEACE" are happy to get into a punch up. Remember the copper who was filmed battering harmless O.A.P.'s on the Countryside march.
This protest should and could be the start of something bigger,unfortunately the wrong sort of people are involved. Brown and his corrupt gang need sharpening up and a bit of fear is well deserved.
- Mordwinoff, Lisle France, 23/03/2009 17:13
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good on him, about time someone did something to show we're not all mugs that just do as we're told.
- Amir, London, 23/03/2009 15:36
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here we go again. The propaganda machines start to roll and portray "demonstrators" as being priveleged rich boys with nother better to do but turn to violence.
I can almost guarantee that even if Ghandi and his followers were around and attended with their brand of non-violent opposition the police would still find a way to create the violence they crave to justify their heavy handed behaviour.
Whether they use agent provocateurs or some other under hand tactic to achieve their goal.
- Sickof This Nonsense, london, uk, 23/03/2009 13:43
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Margy, London: "Something needs to happen because we are being taken for a ride by our dishonest and bent politicians." That is very true. Unfortunately, the kind of action reported here plays straight into the hannds of NuLiebour's control freaks, who will see it as an opprtunity to justify tighter controls on legitimate demonstration and more limitations on the freedom of the law abiding majority.
Trust me, Jackboot Smiff & Co. are praying that significant violent disorder will break out. They know that the media, especially the TV news companies, will focus entirely on any violence and attempt to portray this as the prevailing theme of all anti G20 demonstrations.
If British democracy is not restored some time soon there will come a time when revolution by force will be seen as the only option. Until then peaceful mass demonstration and civil disobedience must prevail with those perpetrating violent disorder vehemently marginalised.
- Keith Lonsdale, Doncaster, 23/03/2009 12:38
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I think you will find there are no plans by anyone to hijack the Put People First protest march and rally on 28th March. There is certainly a 'militant workers' meet up point which is presumably the anarchist lot and other types, though their intention is to distribute flyers and materials promoting their own and other groups protests on 1st and 2nd April. Some of them will however have red and black flags, and I imagine after this article the police may prevent them from marching, which will no doubt lead to some great images for us press to snap, but hardly fair though is it.
- Pip, London, UK, 23/03/2009 11:31
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Something needs to happen because we are being taken for a ride by our dishonest and bent politicians. Nulabour have trashed this country and continue with their destruction and elimination of anything english.
I don't support violence, but please remember that if it does errupt, it is being caused by the ineptitude and undemocratic behaviour of our leaders. There is only so much human beings can take before they feel the neccessity to react.
- Margy, London, 23/03/2009 10:52
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i will enjoy watching this, having been robbed of most of my private pension. Let us see how the fat cats of the banking world squirm, whilst the political police fight to save them, having read how these politicians heads are permanently in the trough fiddling expenses, they need to come down to earth.
I am not an anarchist, but seeing how honest people are being disposessed of their homes and jobs, by dodgy bankers, I have no sympathy for any of them.
thank you Evening Standard for showing the London expenses of MP's.
- Richard P, Eaton Bishop UK, 23/03/2009 10:43
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O this is fabulous,we have not seen this spirit from our young people since the protest movements of the 60s. I sinceraly hope this is the new spirit of the age,people with a sence of passion and a belief that thay can make a differance,its just so healthy.
- Kev, London-UK, 23/03/2009 10:42
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I expect to see you taking the lead then Neil M. There is a difference between direct action and violence, Black Bloc is violence.
The key to a protest isn't necessarily the message or cause it is the way you deliver the message. You will never deliver a message to the masses by inconveniencing them or even directing violence toward them or others.
Proof should you need it is the article that I am commenting on. One tiny reference to the specific protest but no mention of the issue that need to be addressed!
- Stuart, UK, 23/03/2009 10:33
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I sincerely hope these demonstrators shine a very powerful light on Labour's and Brown's inexcusable policy of squashing our democratic institutions and rights.
- Bingham Macnamara, lymington, hampshire, 23/03/2009 10:17
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This guy is a total idiot. Why? He will put off many people from expressing their right to be there and demonstrate their unhappiness peacefully. It almost sounds designed to do this?
- Andrew D, St Albans, 23/03/2009 10:15
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The only reason we have this international waste of time, money and the environment in London is to pander to unelected Gordon's ego. He hopes anything with Obama in it will make him popular and doesn't care what it costs or how much trouble it creates for ordinary Londoners.
- Thomas, London, 23/03/2009 09:55
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Highly commendable, and highly risky: the police have a long track record of starting the fighting in order to justify a hard clamp-down. But direct action is all that's left to us, now that our freedoms have been swept under the tsunami of "anti-terrorism" legislation.
- Neil M., london uk,, 23/03/2009 09:28
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