The usual assortment of scruffy, ponytailed, pot-smoking left-wingers are rioting in central London as a week of protests against the G8 summit, which the UK is hosting, began.
Breaking in: This picture was taken in the moments after police cut their way into the police station squat taken over by G8 protesters and started dragging out activists
Operation: Police officers detain an activist after raiding the building used as a base for demonstrators protesting against the upcoming G8 summit, while another is taken away with a bleeding head
Leaving: An activist pushes a shopping trolley filled with clothes and other belongings after police raided the anti-G8 HQ
Locked out: Police are seen on Beak Street to stop anti-G8 protesters causing trouble as they occupied a former police station
Taking on the police: This activist had clung on to this chimney stack as abseiling officers prepared to try to enter the disused police station from the roof
Lining the street: These police officers set up a cordon on a typically narrow Soho street as they try to contain anti-G8 protests
Crowd: A huge group of police prepare for this morning's raid - filling up the narrow West End street
Street view: A picture likely taken on a mobile phone shows the scene on this narrow Soho street
Masked squatters threw missiles and shouted 'freedom' as around 50 officers used angle grinders to tear down makeshift barriers protecting a former police station in Soho in the City of Westminster, while officers also abseiled in from the roof to flush out activists.
Meanwhile in surrounding streets off Oxford Street and Regent Street, scuffles broke out between hundreds of police and G8 protesters, with significant numbers pinned down, handcuffed and taken away in vans.
The agitators were taking part in the Stop G8 'Carnival Against Capitalism', where they were encouraged to 'show their anger' ahead of the G8 conference being held near Belfast later this month.
Britain is hosting the meeting of the Group of Eight leading industrialised nations at a golf resort in Northern Ireland, which will include David Cameron, US President Barack Obama, Russian President Vladimir Putin and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
Breaking in: This picture was taken in the moments after police cut their way into the police station squat taken over by G8 protesters and started dragging out activists
After a four-hour stand-off outside the Beak Street police station, officers dressed in full riot gear and armed with shields and batons managed to prise open the wooden door and piled in.
Minutes later they dragged out around 40 protestors in handcuffs. A few tried to resist but most went quietly as they were herded away down a side street and put in riot vans.
On the roof Sky News footage showed one protester gripping onto a chimney stack before being bundled down onto his front by the waiting team.
Later around two dozen protesters gathered outside the BP headquarters in St James's Square, amid a heavy police presence.
By this afternoon at least six arrests had been made for alleged offences including possession of articles with intent to commit criminal damage, assault on police, criminal damage, possession of an offensive weapon and failing to remove a face covering.
A spokeswoman said: 'Officers attended an address in Beak Street with a search warrant relating to intelligence that individuals at the address were in possession of weapons and were intent on causing criminal damage and engaging in violent disorder.'
According to workers on the street, the protestors had been openly smoking drugs, drinking and fighting since arriving last Friday.
John Emmerson, 32, who works a few doors down on Beak Street, said the squatters clashed with a group of suited men on Friday evening.
He said they were openly smoking cannabis and drinking lager, becoming aggressive if approached by locals.
Leaving: An activist pushes a shopping trolley filled with clothes and other belongings after police raided the anti-G8 HQ
He said: 'They got here around 4 o clock on Friday about maybe seven of them.
'Almost straight away there was a fight between them and around five guys wearing suits.
'I don't know what it was over but it was a fair old tussle with punches thrown and everything.
'Since then maybe 50 or so more have come, though it is hard to tell because it is such a massive building.
'On Friday they were smoking weed on the street and drinking lager, becoming quite rowdy actually.
'They would always have one or two outside keeping watch and a couple on the roof wearing masks.
'The guys on the roof were always shouting at you if you looked at them.
'They looked off their heads most of the time to be honest, on drugs.'
Meanwhile on surrounding streets protesters were involved in scuffles with police, with some being put in cuffs and dragged away.
A spokeswoman for the Met said there have so far been six arrests, and said searches for weapons and disguises, or masks had been authorised.
She said: 'These have been in place since this morning in the City of Westminster and the City of London and is based on intelligence around the use of paint bombs and shields against police and police horses.
'This is ongoing and officers remain at the scene. I can however confirm there have been six arrests including two for possession of articles with intent to commit criminal damage, one for assault on police, one for criminal damage, one for possession of an offensive weapon and one for failing to remove a face covering under Section 60AA.'
She said police had tried to approach the organisers of the protests but had received no response.
She said: 'We have sought to engage with protest groups who were proposing action around G8 through our Police Liaison Teams but at this stage no groups or individuals have engaged with us.
'We would continue to ask anyone who wants to protest in London around the G8 Summit to contact us so that we can work with them and facilitate peaceful protest.
'As part of our engagement we have met with key business representatives in Central London and the City to advise them about: how best to prepare their staff, their premises and how to deal with protest in their business premises should it happen.'
There were skirmishes around Oxford Street, and at least five people were arrested near Piccadilly Circus.
'Humanity is spiraling towards extinction,' yelled one protester, who identified himself only as Silvester.
'We are facing the biggest crisis ever. We oppose governments and corporations. And the G8 is emblematic of all that.'
Powers to stop and search in anticipation of violence and to require the removal of disguises were authorised this morning and remain in force.
A Home Office spokeswoman said: 'Peaceful protest is a vital part of a democratic society, providing it is conducted within the law. But protesters' rights need to be balanced with the rights of others to go about their business without fear of intimidation or serious disruption to the community.
'Rights to peaceful protest do not extend to violent or threatening behaviour and the police have powers to deal with any such acts.'
Outside Fortnum and Mason, police blocked access, because the historic shop was targeted during protests against Government cuts in 2011.
They acted because demonstrators had threatened to target 'capitalist targets' including banks, hotels and other businesses.
Riot vans and a strong police presence were deployed where protesters with banners had occupied the building in Beak Street, Soho.
Businesses in central London were reportedly warned to take precautions after similar protests in recent years led to violent clashes with riot police.
Last month, StopG8 issued a map of 100 potential targets, including hedge funds Man Group and Paulson, private equity firm Blackstone, banks such as Citi and Barclays and embassies including those of Saudi Arabia and the United States.
'Carnival will go ahead despite cops at Beak St. Don't let them intimidate us! See you 12 noon Oxford Circus and Piccadilly Circus,' StopG8 said on Twitter.
The group, which describes itself as an openly anti-capitalist network "made up of autonomous groups and individuals", had refused to cooperate with police, meaning it was not clear how many people would attend, or where they would focus their attentions.
StopG8 has called for supporters to meet at noon at two locations in the heart of central London's main shopping district.
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