Eleven Arrested In Occupy Protest

Eleven people were arrested after a day of protest in London saw anti-capitalists from the Occupy movement pitch tents outside the Bank of England.

The arrests were made for public order offences linked to the demonstrations, which led to around 10 tents being set up outside the banking institution, City of London Police said.

The protest by around 300 demonstrators was part of a global day of action in which thousands of people staged rallies in cities including Moscow, New York, Athens and Madrid, organisers said.

Protesters gathered outside St Paul's Cathedral for a rally before embarking on a "visiting the 1%" march which attempted to visit the offices of some of the largest banking institutions.

These included some of the largest firms in the financial heart of the capital, such as Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch, RBS and Santander.

Occupy London supporter David Lincoln said: "The Bank of England stands right at the intersection of finance and government.

"In the light of Bank governor Mervyn King's recent comments about 'vested interests' standing in the way of reform of the financial sector, it is clear that that balance in the UK is fundamentally skewed.

"Hundreds of people gathering by the Bank of England is a powerful symbol of how things have to change."

The demonstrators were closely shadowed by City of London Police, who attempted to contain them on several occasions, leading to a number of minor skirmishes.

A police spokesman said protesters had been given a deadline of 5.45pm to leave the area outside the Bank of England. A handful remained in defiance of the order.

A force spokesman said: "We have a proportionate response in place."

Occupy said they have planned another protest for this Tuesday, which will target the British Bankers' Association.