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International Desk Tibetan protestors camped outside of the Chinese Embassy in Portland Place in central London clashed with riot police today as the Chinese Prime Minister in a whistle stop tour of Europe met Chinese Londoners celebrating New Year.
The Met police confirmed that five pro-Tibetan protestors were detained following public order offences and scuffles with police.
Increasingly London is the "battleground" for various groups demonstrating at unfolding international crisis; only on Saturday 30 January the capitals Sri Lankan community marched through the street’s of the capital calling for the end of violence in their motherland. The event according to the BBC attracted around 50,000 people with no arrests and the event ended peacefully.
The Israeli attacks in Gaza have seen dozens of marches and rallies by pro-Arabs and pro-Zionists movements in the capital with cases of serious of civil unrest taking place at Arab organised events.
The Met police is understood by senior sources to have already made requests for more resources to the government, and to prepare for more unrest and demonstrations with the recession creating greater resentment.
Once police source who has remained anonymous said:
"We are struggling to control marches and events in the centre of town; if we have a similar event as the poll tax riots we will have problems".
It has been rumoured that policing the Gaza protests will cost the city's taxpayers in excess of £1 million.
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