Protesters Battle Police In London’s Financial... (Press, 31 March 1984)

On 30 March 1984, London’s financial district was the scene of a significant protest as hundreds of demonstrators, characterised by painted faces and unusual hairstyles, attempted to disrupt the operations of the City of London, which is the hub of Britain’s banking and finance. This protest, dubbed the “Stop The City Carnival,” resulted in clashes with police, with protests leading to damage to cars and broken bank windows. Amid the chaos, mounted police confronted demonstrators who attempted to block streets, leading to the arrest of nearly 450 individuals predominantly for obstruction and insulting behaviour. Despite the turmoil, the Stock Exchange and other financial institutions remained operational, although business operations were affected due to delays in the delivery of cheques and documents caused by the protests. The participants in this demonstration identified with a range of anti-establishment causes, including animal rights, homosexual equality, anarchism, and nuclear disarmament, with many coming from various parts of the UK. Meanwhile, on the same day, a larger and more orderly protest took place in London's West End, where around 20,000 trade union members, including the Opposition Labour Party Leader, Mr Neil Kinnock, marched against Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's proposals to abolish the municipal government of London and six other urban areas. In Liverpool, approximately 15,000 protesters gathered as the City Council was debating a Labour Party initiative aimed at challenging Thatcher’s spending restrictions through a strategy that involved potentially plunging the city into deliberate bankruptcy. The protests in London marked the second consecutive day of unrest in the city, as transportation systems, including buses and underground trains, were disrupted due to a strike opposing Thatcher's local government policies. During the events in the financial district, protesters engaged in more aggressive actions, such as throwing smoke bombs and bricks through office windows in an area dense with banks and financial entities. Despite the aggressive attempts to take over the City of London for a day, police reported that normal operations in financial houses persisted, with no significant disruptions in their work.

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