As finance ministers and central bank heads from 19 nations and the European Union, along with U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders, meet Wednesday in London for the Group of Twenty (G20) summit, thousands of protestors are gathering to demonstrate over a variety of issues.
About 5,500 police officers are also there to keep order and police have reportedly shut the entrances of some subway stations in an effort to control crowds.
Some demonstrators were reportedly carrying signs protesting war, while others carried signs protesting various economic policies of the countries meeting. The 20 G20 members are the largest economies in the world and represent over 80 percent of the global gross domestic product, 80 percent of world trade and two-thirds of the world population.
Protestors belonging to a variety of coalitions reportedly plan to demonstrate over issues that include poverty, inequality and jobs, war, climate change and capitalism.
On Saturday tens of thousands of protestors gathered to march through the streets. It is unknown how many protestors might show up today at various spots around London, but more are expected to show up by midday.
Some protestors were massed around the Bank of England where the summit is being held. Bank employees, as well as city employees, had been told earlier to shed their business attire and show up for work during the summit wearing casual attire so they won't be mistaken for summit participants and targeted by protestors. Some businesses near the bank were boarded up and closed for the summit.
There were some anarchists present in the crowd, but most of the demonstrators, so far, have been good-natured, according to reports.
About 1,000 protestors assembled at the Liverpool Street station finally broke through police lines and headed toward the bank. Other demonstrators assembled in other parts of the city are expected to head for the bank by midday as well.
Many of the protestors, who range in age from teenagers to the elderly, have been arriving via the subways and then are trying to head for the bank. But police have been trying to hold them back.
However, police have denied reports that they intend to use Tasers on the protestors.
