Lord Levene of Portsoken: My Lords, I declare an interest as the Lord Mayor of the City of London, and the City is my constituency. Is the Minister aware that, despite the best endeavours of the demonstrators, firms in the City of London continued working normally throughout Friday and business was not disrupted? I spent three hours walking among the demonstrators, to see for myself exactly what was happening. I was appalled. This was not a demonstration turned sour by policing that was too heavy. Nor was it a demonstration that was hijacked by a violent element. The organisers always intended the demonstration to be violent. It was designed to create as much damage and disruption as possible. I saw the way in which its focus shifted and the deliberate way in which demonstrators went about their business. There can be little doubt that much energy had been spent trying to bring the City of London to a complete halt, but they failed.
Would the Minister and the whole House care to join me in congratulating all those in the City--those who work there together with our police force--who ran the gauntlet of the protestors to get on with their jobs? I saw ripped jackets, City workers being spat at, despatch riders and taxi drivers being assaulted, and endless demonstrators urinating in the street. {ROFLMAO!!!!!!}
The majority of the 300,000 people who work in the City took those events in their stride. They continued with their work, which benefits this country and its economy so much. That needs recognition. People who work in the City are the first to give their money and time to others. They are the first to help others in need. They are the first to recognise the right to free speech. That which they had to suffer on Friday was beyond the bounds of what was acceptable.
Call in NATO I say....
