25 arrested as London anti-Bush protest descends into violence

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Pics: London anti-war protest descends into violence

A police investigation was launched today after President Bush's visit to London descended into violent clashes between anti-war protestors and baton-wielding officers.

Scotland Yard made 25 arrests - including a 60-year-old woman charged with indecent exposure - during scuffles in Parliament Square after some of the 2,500 protestors attempted to breach police blockades on Whitehall.

They were attempting to reach Downing Street where George Bush was meeting with Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Others arrested included two men aged 21 and 26 who were were charged with obstructing police and were due to appear before magistrates today.

Police were critical of demonstrators from Stop War Coalition, Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and the British Muslim Initiative, which organised the protest, for the outbreak of violence, which left ten officers with minor injuries.

But protestors claimed heavy-handed policing was to blame.

Suzanna Wylie, 29, from London, was left bleeding from a head injury.

She said: 'We were standing near the front, the police shouted at us to move back, we tried but couldn't and they started hitting people on the heads with their truncheons.

'It was frightening. I somehow got hit.

'I was caught between the police in front of me and people behind me who were throwing things at the police.'

And protester Mary Robin, 61, said: 'There is never trouble at these things, but there were so many police officers it was like a war zone on our streets.'

Met Deputy Assistant Commissioner Chris Allison said: "We are seriously disappointed by the irresponsible and criminal action of those who have challenged police, physically ripping apart security barriers with the sole aim of breaching security in Whitehall.

"In a number of meetings with the Stop the War Coalition we have attempted to work with them to facilitate lawful protest, offering them a number of opportunities to express their views in a legitimate manner. We have done nothing but negotiate to make their demonstration a success.

"London has been at a severe level of threat from terrorism for a number of years and, in the current climate, attacks such as the ones we have seen are totally irresponsible as such behaviour can be used as cover for more sinister criminal activity.

"The acts that we have witnessed are deplorable and cannot be described as lawful demonstration."

Bush, who is on his last tour of the UK as President, today had breakfast with Middle East envoy Tony Blair and then met with Gordon Brown to discuss what action is needed on the credit crunch, rising fuel costs and food prices and Iraq and Iran.

Bush then flew with Blair and Brown to Northern Ireland to meet the politicians heading its power-sharing government.

Anti-war demonstrations are also planned in Belfast.

Members of the Stop War Coalition, CND and the British Muslim Initiative organised the rally which began with speeches from Tony Benn, Bianca Jagger and George Galloway.

Pics: London anti-war protest descends into violence