Feature Translation: Spanish

Breaking Reports

22:40 Five persons of the group from which earlier the 4 persons were arrested at King's Cross were arrested at Trafalgar Square. In reaction some activists wanted to get on stage immediately to announce this. A group pushed into the stage area, and then the police came. Reportedly, the organisers tried to get the police out of the backstage area, but at least two violent arrests were made there (as reported earlier).

21:20 The release of at least two people is delayed. Apparently the police say they cannot release them if there are too many people outside the station.

21:00 Some 500 people attended the concert on Trafalgar Square. After it finished, about 200 stayed and made a fire from leftover posters and sticks, singing and dancing around it. The police were trying to stop it, and encircled a group of activists at some stage, but were encircled themselves by other activists. The cops retreated, and shortly afterwards the people left as well.

19:15 Reports of a demonstration in Charing Cross Police Station, including clowns.

18:15 An ESF spokesperson said they were not going to enquire with the police right away about the arrest of the person on their co-ordination committee. He said he saw them being lead away, but was sure they will have legal help. There was no official comment about the arrests at this time. They also did not know how many people have been arrested.
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18:00 Most people leaving Trafalgar Square in the rain.

16:45 There have been arrests in Trafalgar Square, including one Indymedia reporter (and member of the ESF co-ordinating committee) who was violently arrested. Another Indymedia photographer was knocked to the ground by police as he took photos.

16:40 Reports are coming in that a group of people have tried to get on the stage at Trafalgar Square, probably to make a statement. They are now being held back by a steward of the "stop the war coallition", there is pushing and shoving going on as they try to get through the fence around the stage area.

16:00 Some of the march, including the crew detained at Kings Cross, has now arrived at Trafalgar Square. Samba bands are playing, speeches are going on and the atmosphere is good. Some of the march is still crossing the bridge next to parliament. The police estimate of the number of people involved is 15,000 to 20,000.
Meanwhile some members of the Italian Forum have had their banners confiscated by the police at Russell Square.

Earlier today police were harassing a group of 15 or 20 activists on their way to the march. First they were held at Seven Sisters station for a while. Then when emerging from Kings Cross they were surrounded by a large number of police and a Section 60 was issued. Four people were arrested including two Italian and one Greek activist.
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A "pro-capitalist" march met up with the ESF march, but police are keeping the two marches separate for a while, imposing a Section 14. The pro-capitalists have banners saying "Bring Back The Slave Trade" and "Bombs not Bread". They were shouting "get a job, get a job" at the ESF marchers.

13:00 The main ESF demonstration is today. Thousands are gathering in Russell Square to march to Trafalgar Square in a celebration of diversity and expressing the many campaigns and viewpoints gathered here from across Europe.
By 16:00 figures on the demonstration were being estimated at 70,000 people on the demo (ESF Spokesperson), 15-20,000 people (Scotland Yard Spokesperson), 100,000 (BBC website quoting Stop the War Coalition).

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