Both sides claim victory as the meeting goes ahead but demonstrators grab the headlines. After several hours of peaceful protest a number of protestors leave Parliament Square and march up towards Trafalgar Square. A number of monuments, including Winston Churchill's statue and the Cenotaph are defaced and a branch of McDonald's is vandalised. Thirty people are arrested. Winston Churchill's statute in Parliament Square.
Activists disrupt the Summit of the Americas in Quebec City.
Police used tear gas, water cannon and rubber bullets to keep protesters at bay. Some demonstrators smashed windows, started fires and threw Molotov cocktails. More than 400 people are arrested. Anti-capitalist demonstrations take place around the world. May Day mood begins to darken 01.05.