May Day protesters did little damage to the head offices of West End agents, thanks largely to the police’s policy of containment.
Early indications suggest that containing the protesters in Oxford Circus prevented the disruption from spreading to the agents’ boarded up offices in and around Berkeley Square, Hanover Square and Cavendish Square.
However, retailers around Oxford Circus, such as Niketown and John Lewis, were damaged after what began as a mainly peaceful demonstration splintered into skirmishes between police and demonstrators.
The protests have been estimated as costing £20m in lost revenue. But in contrast with the May Day riots in Germany and Australia this year, or last year’s May Day demonstration, the cost of damage to property is expected to be low.
EGi News 02/05/01
