Anarchists plan to descend on London for Guy Fawkes

Thousands of anarchists to storm 

London on Bonfire Night - police 

on high alert

The Daily Express,

3 November, 2017

ANARCHISTS are planning to descend on London on Bonfire Night for their annual Million Mask March.

Police in the capital have slapped strict restrictions on the rally and warned troublemakers to stay away.

They said previous events had been marred by violence, criminal damage to London's memorials and harassment and verbal abuse of police officers.

And they said anyone who breaks new conditions imposed under the Public Order Act will face immediate arrest.

The march has been limited to a three-hour slot between 6pm and 9pm on Sunday and protesters will be allowed to congregate only in Trafalgar Square, on the stretch of Whitehall outside Downing Street and in Parliament Square.

The event, which is organised by hacking collective Anonymous and its supporters, is held each year on Bonfire Night to protest against the Government and capitalism.

Nearly 2,000 people have said they are attending or interested in attending on the event's Facebook page.

A post on the page reads: "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 wellbeing of the many and we say enough is enough.

"The Government and the one per cent have played their hand. Now it's time to play ours. Expect us."

Marchers often don the Guido Fawkes masks featured in the film V for Vendetta - which depicts London as a police state controlled by a fascist government - to hide their faces.

Last year, some protesters caused chaos by launching fireworks and flares into the crowd and at police officers

There was public outcry following 2015's event when protesters deliberately targeted police horses patrolling the event, injuring six of them.

The Metropolitan Police said crime at the protest had increased year on year, with 53 arrests in 2016 up from four in 2012.