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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/live/2015/nov/05/million-mask-march-gathers-in-london-live-updates
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| Million Mask March gathers in London - live updates | Million Mask March gathers in London - live updates |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| 6.00pm GMT18:00 | |
| Jason RockDodger Sangster has posted this video on Facebook of the crowds gathering in Trafalgar Square tonight. | |
| 5.58pm GMT17:58 | |
| Damian is off to Trafalgar Square to report on the rally, so Chris Johnston here taking over the live blog. | |
| 5.45pm GMT17:45 | |
| I called out on the Million Mask March London Facebook page asking people for the reasons why they were attending. Setting aside the bunfight over mainstream media, the most articulate and complete response came from Keith Brady. He said: | |
| I won’t be attending, but you want reasons? Jobs are down, educational standards are down, industry is down, public and national services are down, everything’s being sold off, taxes are being increased or diverted elsewhere and investments in infrastructure are being reduced to practically nothing by the greedy ba*ds the people who attend are there to protest too. Even the poverty stricken unemployed, who are stuggling to live on benefits they are often sanctioned on, still pay taxes on products we buy to survive with, so why is it being claimed they’re such a massive drain? Answer the question why NOT march? It’s much tougher to answer | |
| Updated at 5.46pm GMT | |
| 5.35pm GMT17:35 | |
| Here’s a segment from the TV news featuring Ch Supt Peppa Mills explaining why the Met has imposed such stringent conditions on tonight’s Million Mask March demonstration. | |
| Conditions imposed upon #MillionMaskMarch #London #Nov5th Updates from @MetPoliceEvents https://t.co/kdc1WBtApx https://t.co/2IBNijEU2c | |
| She says: | |
| It’s absolutely essential that the police are able to balance the needs of those who want to protest peacefully with those who live, work and visit London. Over the last three years, we’ve seen people going about their daily business seriously intimidated and disrupted by these protesters at this event. | |
| 5.20pm GMT17:20 | 5.20pm GMT17:20 |
| The Million Mask March is not the only place that will see anti-authoritarian hi-jinks this evening. A giant effigy of a naked David Cameron with a pig’s head resting in his lap is to be set alight at the Lewes Bonfire night celebrations. | The Million Mask March is not the only place that will see anti-authoritarian hi-jinks this evening. A giant effigy of a naked David Cameron with a pig’s head resting in his lap is to be set alight at the Lewes Bonfire night celebrations. |
| David Cameron ready for Lewes bonfire pic.twitter.com/BXiDS9ZpO6 | David Cameron ready for Lewes bonfire pic.twitter.com/BXiDS9ZpO6 |
| My colleague Jamie Grierson wrote the story earlier: | My colleague Jamie Grierson wrote the story earlier: |
| Images of the surreal sculpture, depicting the prime minister perched on a golden chair clasping the animal head, have circulated on social media before Thursday’s event in the East Sussex town. | Images of the surreal sculpture, depicting the prime minister perched on a golden chair clasping the animal head, have circulated on social media before Thursday’s event in the East Sussex town. |
| The wooden structure alludes to claims made in an unauthorised biography of Cameron that he had put a “private part of his anatomy” into a dead pig’s head as part of a university dining club initiation ritual. | The wooden structure alludes to claims made in an unauthorised biography of Cameron that he had put a “private part of his anatomy” into a dead pig’s head as part of a university dining club initiation ritual. |
| Cameron later denied the allegations made in Call Me Dave, which was written by the former Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft and the former Sunday Times political editor Isabel Oakeshott. | Cameron later denied the allegations made in Call Me Dave, which was written by the former Conservative donor Lord Ashcroft and the former Sunday Times political editor Isabel Oakeshott. |
| Related: Effigy of David Cameron and pig's head to burn at Lewes Bonfire night display | Related: Effigy of David Cameron and pig's head to burn at Lewes Bonfire night display |
| 5.03pm GMT17:03 | 5.03pm GMT17:03 |
| The Metropolitan police has imposed strict conditions for tonight’s demonstration. This tweet shows what restrictions are in place. | The Metropolitan police has imposed strict conditions for tonight’s demonstration. This tweet shows what restrictions are in place. |
| Reminder of conditions for the #MillionMaskMarch in London For further details: https://t.co/BKcsfUxLs8 #5thnov pic.twitter.com/nxQA1hwuuj | Reminder of conditions for the #MillionMaskMarch in London For further details: https://t.co/BKcsfUxLs8 #5thnov pic.twitter.com/nxQA1hwuuj |
| 4.53pm GMT16:53 | 4.53pm GMT16:53 |
| There are unconfirmed reports of a heavy police presence at Trafalgar Square and claims that people arriving early are being arrested. | There are unconfirmed reports of a heavy police presence at Trafalgar Square and claims that people arriving early are being arrested. |
| Warning, anons are being arrested for turning up early. Need to arrange amongst yourselves to meet in pubs then ascend all together at 5 | Warning, anons are being arrested for turning up early. Need to arrange amongst yourselves to meet in pubs then ascend all together at 5 |
| One person on the Million Mask March London Facebook page has also posted a picture of a steel wall close to the scene, ready for deployment to contain protests. | One person on the Million Mask March London Facebook page has also posted a picture of a steel wall close to the scene, ready for deployment to contain protests. |
| People posting to the page have so far given me a range of reasons why they intend to protest, ranging from alleged VIP paedophile rings in Westminster, to poverty, the environment and Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. | People posting to the page have so far given me a range of reasons why they intend to protest, ranging from alleged VIP paedophile rings in Westminster, to poverty, the environment and Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. |
| 4.24pm GMT16:24 | 4.24pm GMT16:24 |
| Thousands of protesters are expected to gather in Trafalgar Square tonight, with Westminster the focus for the now annual Million Mask March, a worldwide event on Bonfire night that is organised through the Anonymous hackers’ collective. | Thousands of protesters are expected to gather in Trafalgar Square tonight, with Westminster the focus for the now annual Million Mask March, a worldwide event on Bonfire night that is organised through the Anonymous hackers’ collective. |
| So far about 18,000 people indicated on Facebook that they plan to attend the demonstration, where protesters don Guy Fawkes masks in an effort to recreate the closing scenes of the cult comic book-cum-movie V For Vendetta. | So far about 18,000 people indicated on Facebook that they plan to attend the demonstration, where protesters don Guy Fawkes masks in an effort to recreate the closing scenes of the cult comic book-cum-movie V For Vendetta. |
| Tonight’s demonstration is expected to focus on proposals to increase powers of the security services. It comes a day after the government published a new bill seen as a revived snooper’s charter. Under the plans, internet companies will be required to store details of every website visited by their customers for 12 months. | Tonight’s demonstration is expected to focus on proposals to increase powers of the security services. It comes a day after the government published a new bill seen as a revived snooper’s charter. Under the plans, internet companies will be required to store details of every website visited by their customers for 12 months. |
| Previous years have seen fireworks fired at the Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster, as well as arrests and clashes with riot police. Tonight, Scotland Yard is to deploy thousands of extra police officers and impose tough public order restrictions over fears that the protest will again turn violent. | Previous years have seen fireworks fired at the Buckingham Palace and the Palace of Westminster, as well as arrests and clashes with riot police. Tonight, Scotland Yard is to deploy thousands of extra police officers and impose tough public order restrictions over fears that the protest will again turn violent. |
| Yesterday the Metropolitan police urged “anyone with an organisational role” to come forward and liaise with them. Ch Supt Peppa Mills said: | Yesterday the Metropolitan police urged “anyone with an organisational role” to come forward and liaise with them. Ch Supt Peppa Mills said: |
| We will always facilitate peaceful protest and have a strong history of doing so. However, over the last few this event has seen high levels of anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder. | We will always facilitate peaceful protest and have a strong history of doing so. However, over the last few this event has seen high levels of anti-social behaviour, crime and disorder. |
| This year we have strong reason to believe that peaceful protest is the last thing on the minds of many of the people who will come along. | This year we have strong reason to believe that peaceful protest is the last thing on the minds of many of the people who will come along. |
| Social media accounts linked to the event’s organisation have merely called for attendees to “respect diversity of tactics” by their fellow protesters. The Facebook page for the event, which begins at 6pm, says: | Social media accounts linked to the event’s organisation have merely called for attendees to “respect diversity of tactics” by their fellow protesters. The Facebook page for the event, which begins at 6pm, says: |
| We have seen the abuses and malpractice of this government, and governments before it, we have seen the encroaching destruction of many civil liberties we hold dear, we have seen the pushes to make the internet yet another part of the surveillance state, we have seen the government’s disregard for migrants, for the poor, the elderly and the disabled, we have seen the capital, profit and greed of the few put before the well-being of the many and we say enough is enough. | We have seen the abuses and malpractice of this government, and governments before it, we have seen the encroaching destruction of many civil liberties we hold dear, we have seen the pushes to make the internet yet another part of the surveillance state, we have seen the government’s disregard for migrants, for the poor, the elderly and the disabled, we have seen the capital, profit and greed of the few put before the well-being of the many and we say enough is enough. |
| We invite all the activists, the workers, the students, all doctors, nurses and all those that want to see a positive change in the world, to join us, in Trafalgar Square from 6pm, November 5th. The government and the 1% have played their hand, now it is time to play ours. | We invite all the activists, the workers, the students, all doctors, nurses and all those that want to see a positive change in the world, to join us, in Trafalgar Square from 6pm, November 5th. The government and the 1% have played their hand, now it is time to play ours. |