Violence erupts at Israel protests

[Liviagray]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/4/20090117/tuk-violence-erupts-at-israel-protests-dba1618.html

5 hours 20 mins ago

Violence has erupted at anti-Israeli protests in London.

Young men - many wearing scarves covering their faces - clashed with police on Saturday, with one group seen kicking in the front window of a Starbucks coffee shop. A police car also had its rear window smashed.

The Metropolitan Police force said it contained a group of between 120 and 200 people in Piccadilly at about 5.20pm.

A spokesman said: "The decision to contain this group was based on the need to prevent a further breach of the peace."

The spokesman also said it was investigating reports of damaged, looted shops.

He said: "There is now believed to be two branches of Starbucks, one in Shaftesbury Avenue, junction with Rupert Street and one in Piccadilly. Windows have been smashed and shops looted."


Do you see? It's not an Israel or Palestine, it's London and this violens can happen in any place in the world. It's just a beginging. And what Starbucks have to do with Israel? We didn't own it and even don't have any Starbucks in our country? So why this arabs hate Starbucks so much?
This is a question?

[Richard Tafoya]

More from the Telegraph:
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/middleeast/israel/4279688/Starbucks-smashed-and-looted-as-anti-Israel-protests-turn-to-violence.html
Commander Bob Broadhurst, in charge of public order policing for the Metropolitan Police, said: "Once again what we have witnessed in London today is a group of thugs, who are not interested in lawful protest, run through the streets smashing shops without care for the alarm they caused the public.

"Thousands of people expressed their views in an earlier, lawful, rally in Trafalgar Square...What followed was totally unacceptable criminal behaviour by a small minority who do not appear to care about any cause. Their behaviour was inexcusable as they took part in wanton criminality."

Police said the London rally was attended by 3,500 people while organisers of a rally in Birmingham said more than 5,000 turned up.

...

One demonstrator said problems had begun when people had not been allowed to leave Trafalgar Square.

The man, who refused to give his name, said: "People tried to leave by walking round the left hand side of the National Gallery. But when we were stopped and came back on ourselves and tried to go round the other side the police linked arms to stop us and there was a big crush.

"We eventually came through Leicester Square and got on to Piccadilly and the police tried to shove everyone back onto the pavement. It was around then I heard somebody smash a window as they walked past Starbucks."