Violence marked the opening of the G8 summit in Scotland yesterday. Police clashed with several hundred protesters who broke away from the G8 Alternatives march at Auchterarder and attempted to breach the so-called "ring of steel" surrounding the Gleneagles estate as world leaders flew in for two days of talks to be dominated by poverty in Africa and climate change.
However, after an inevitable standoff and some ugly incidents, riot police supported by horse-mounted officers brought the situation under control. And there was relief last night - for Tayside police and for prime minister Tony Blair - that the one permitted demonstration within earshot of the G8 leaders had been able to proceed after an earlier police decision to ban it.
That decision had followed early-morning violence in Stirling, about 20 miles from the conference headquarters, which saw more than 30 arrests and brought major disruption to central Scotland's road network.
Citing "operational detail", police chiefs refused to comment on the intelligence informing the decision to ban the Auchterarder march, which they later reversed after talks with the march organisers. However, uncertainty about whether the protest would go ahead fuelled other confrontations in the centre of Edinburgh where, by mid-evening, at least 18 people had been arrested after a series of demonstrations.
And police in the city remained on full alert last night amid fears that anarchist groups might provoke further incidents while police resources were stretched to ensure the safety of some 60,000 people attending the Live8 anti-poverty concert at the Murrayfield Stadium.
Bob Geldof was attending the concert following his talks with Mr Blair, President Bush and other G8 leaders at Gleneagles yesterday afternoon. However, to the relief of the authorities directing a massive, 10,000-strong police operation around the summit, there was by yesterday at least no sign of the one million people Geldof and other Live8 organisers had urged to converge on the Scottish capital.
Initial estimates had between 3,000 and 5,000 finally attending the Auchterarder march, and the overwhelming majority stuck to the agreed route, some carrying banners declaring "justice for all" and "make occupation history".
The Respect MP George Galloway condemned anyone intent on violence on the march, while declaring that "the most violent people on the planet" were the leaders meeting inside the Gleneagles Hotel. There was also condemnation from the march organisers of the anarchist elements behind the earlier violence which prevented many hundreds more joining the demonstration.
Police officers in reflective jackets had appeared relaxed when several hundred protesters broke off from the march and entered the adjoining field. But they were swiftly replaced by colleagues in full riot gear as the protesters targeted a temporary police watchtower and briefly penetrated the steel security fence around the Gleneagles estate. Police chiefs had promised a robust response to any attempt to breach the security barrier and, after Chinook helicopters flew in reinforcements, police bearing batons effectively encircled the demonstrators and gradually forced them to retreat.
Explaining the reversal of the earlier decision to ban the march, Assistant Chief Constable Willie Buld said: "Public safety has always been our priority and anyone who watched television pictures of criminal and violent activities in Stirling would understand why we have had to proceed cautiously to ensure this march could go ahead." At the same time, the man co-ordinating the huge security operation (one of the biggest seen in Britain), Chief Constable Peter Wilson, said the time for playing "softball" with people intent on violence was over.
His warning came after the police had come under sustained pressure in the early hours by people who had moved from the eco-campsite near Stirling and attacked police and vehicles, banks and a Burger King restaurant as well as nearby homes.
Scotland's first minister, Jack McConnell, condemned those responsible for the violence and disruption.
