a few dozen protestors targetted a range of high street outlets at lunchtime today, highlighting the businesses that exploit workfare labour, paying nothing for workers forced into modern slavery under threat of losing benefits. police attempted to stop activists from entering any of the businesses in a cat and mouse game over a couple of hours.

despite the pouring rain, hundreds attended the annual 'reclaim love' event at piccadilly circus yesterday, and in an antidote to valentine consumerism, they partied, hugged, laughed and played. in sync with other events around the globe, they also held hands in a huge circle round eros, and central london resonated to the chant 'may all the beings in all the worlds be happy and at peace'. this is…

disabled activists, pensioners, and ukuncut staged a spectacular blockade at oxford circus today, blocking the northern junction of regent street for more than two hours. 200 people showed solidarity whilst 20 wheelchair activists chained themselves across  the road. there were no arrests and after a consensus decision protestors left together peacefully and in solidarity shortly after 2pm

this evening there was a massive police operation in central london to control a passionate but mainly peaceful protest by up to 1000 congolese people which began in whitehall, spreading to trafalgar square, and with further breakaway groups marching through the west end. mainstream coverage has been minimal.

tomorrow marks the sixteenth anniversary of the killing of ken saro-wiwa and eight other activists in nigeria. today, shell, complicit in their execution, was polishing its image by sponsoring an awards event for young entrepeneurs at the centrepoint building in central london. rising tide organised a reminder of shell's bloody history outside the event, involving grim reapers, sombre drums, and h…

the balmy indian summer weather ensured a good turn-out for the critical mass bike ride last friday evening, and hundreds of cyclists enjoyed a joyous ride round london despite the occasional psychopathic motorist and a couple of crazy cops. the critical mass bicycle ride, now in in its 11th year, takes place on the last friday of each month throughout the year.

the 9th peaceful anti-cuts occupation in trafalgar square began last night. during the evening there were six arrests and plenty of intimidation. this morning couple of dozen protestors were evicted by a police operation involving 150 officers. they were also told a section 60 is in force today J30.

campaigners from london guantanamo campaign and kingston peace council organised a rally in trafalgar sq on sunday afternoon in solidarity with the international day in support for the victims of torture. the rally aimed to raise awareness of torture and the collusion in its practice of states worldwide.

See pics and report...

organisers estimated 3000 people took part in yesterday's 'slutwalk' anti-rape protest yesterday in central london. the crowd filled trafalgar square to hear from a wide variety of speakers, and the event was seen by them as a success. it has certainly opened up a debate about attitudes to women, rape, dress, and misogyny, although not all agree with the premise of the march.

on saturday, london activist sambaistas busked in piccadilly circus, raising money for disaster relief in japan.

The massive March for the Alternative demonstration and day of action has come and gone, and what a day it was! Indymedia London was busy reporting the whole day and, together with other radical media projects such as the x26radio live streaming, it offered reporting infrasructure so those taking part in the demonstrations, occupations and actions could tell the story collectively in real time, f…

continuation of pics and report on london's 'day of rage'. first part can be found here

while hundreds of thousands of people formed the official 'march for the alternative' from embankment, thousands more took part in organised and disorganised actions around the capital, including a spectacular occupation of fortnum and mason's - the piccadilly department store for the richest elite.

Here there's a selection of photos from Oxford street and surrounding area from this afternoon after 2pm.

Some photos of street hijinks earlier in the afternoon.

Police have claimed that protesters have been throwing bulbs filled with ammonia at them.This seems to only come from one source; police claims. Sounds suspiciously like police anti-protester propaganda being re-hyped by compliant media?

 The Telegraph and Sky News, who both reported this instance, sourced their stories from the Metropolitan Police's twitter feed. However, these claims have n…

Some photos of the start of the feeder march from Kennington this morning.

university vice-chancellors held a meeting yesterday at woburn house in london. students planned a protest outside the meeting against cuts to the EMA grants, rises in tuition fees, and the coalition's idealogical attack on education.

a planned university occupation failed after an apparent factional dispute, but the protest then transformed into a more general anti-cuts demonstration with visits…

Saturday 12th saw a series of events taking place across London. The day started with TakeVAT gathering at Green Park and going via the tube to Heathrow airport to protest against the air industries VAT exemption at a time when the rest of us are being hit with increases in VAT and general cuts [report and pics | video]. Lunchtime saw a planned Egypt solidarity rally turn into a celebration of the…

second part of report (see http://london.indymedia.org/articles/7350 for part one)

this is the eighth time 'reclaim love' has taken place around eros in piccadilly circus. it is a celebration of love without the corporate hijack of valentine's day. it is also a growing global movement, with more and more 'mirror' events around the world, including poignantly today, in jerusalem and in egypt. venus' is building towards 2015, when valentine's day falls on a saturday, and she hopes…

About 500 people gathered at Piccadilly Circus to start a new series of protests ( 24th | 26th | 29th ) while MPs debated scrapping the EMA (Education Maintenance Allowance) and later on marched towards Westminster. Although not as large as the November/December demos, it was a loud and good protest. People finally arrived in front of Parliament where the demo turned into a little rave.

See the…

Around 600 cyclists came out on the monthly Critical Mass bicycle ride last Friday night. the ride takes place on the last friday of every month throughout the year, and riders meet from 6pm on the south bank under waterloo bridge by the national film theatre. the route is decided by riders on the night, and since last year's high court case, police no longer ride with the bikes.

photos from todays demo

Forward Intelligence Teams on the Gaza march on Saturday faced their toughest opposition to date, as people from the march joined Fitwatch activists in blocking police cameras.

As the FIT tried to film the march, they were soon challenged by Fitwatch activists. As the marchers saw what was happening more and more of them came over to support, and before long two FIT coppers and their photographer…

The Lev Leviev diamonds store was picketed today in protest against his direct financing of the expansion of Israeli settlements.

The offices of the greek airline Olympic Airways was blockaded today in solidarity with the 16 year old activist killed earlier this week.?

In the week of the law lords' final ruling on the legal status of critical mass, friday night saw around 200 cyclists brave the damp and cold to take part in the "commonly or customarily held procession" - for the third month in a row, no police directly accompanied the ride. the ride itself was mostly fun and smooth-going, but there was a collision at marble arch that marred an otherwise succesfu…

for the second month running, the critical mass appeared to be without police presence. one cycling paramedic accompanied the ride. the mass was generally peaceful, well self-organised, and very pleasurable. one of the longer rides too!

Around thirty people turned up at short notice to a demonstsratin called by the PDA on the day of the General Strike in Colombia opposite the Colombian Embassy in London at 4.30pm on Thursday in support of the Colombian indigenous people, the sugar cane cutters on strike and the Colombian social justice movement. Pictures (C) 2008, Peter Marshall. All rights reserved.