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City firms will spend £3m to protect staff during G20
Rashid Razaq25 Mar 2009
THE private security bill for the G20 protests is expected to exceed £3million as City firms plan extra measures to protect their staff from the threat of attack.
Thousands of additional guards are being drafted in by firms in the Square Mile on top of the 3,000 police officers who will be on duty.
The Bank of England, Royal Bank of Scotland and investment banks UBS and Deutsche Bank are among those taking precautions, some doubling their usual security, amid fears that anti-capitalist groups could hijack planned protests.
City staff have been told not to wear suits and ties, to carry ID passes at all times and to postpone non-essential meetings on 1 and 2April when 20 world leaders, including Barack Obama, attend the summit in Docklands.
Staff could face hostile crowds and radical groups who have hung effigies of bankers and warned that police will "lose the City of London" on what has been dubbed "Financial Fools Day". A security source said: "The banks and multinationals will not want to take any risks given the atmosphere."
G4S, formerly Group 4 Securicor, will be among the main beneficiaries of the extra security operation. The firm provides services to 50 of the FTSE 100 companies, but it refused to comment on its work during the G20 summit.
Reader views (3)
They're only protesting because they're too lazy to get a job themselves and contribute to the economy.
London still remains the financial capital of the world, and even though there's a downturn most Brits have never had it so good.
- D.W., London, 25/03/2009 17:25
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Why didn't these idiots arrange their meeting in a hotel in the countryside somewhere without disrupting London.
- John Smith, London , England, 25/03/2009 17:14
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Yes but ... are they really? During the first anti-capitalism demo back in the 80s, the only advice we got in the City was "don't leave the building if you can help it" !
- Marianne, SW France, 25/03/2009 11:37
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