Anti-Greed Campaigners Vow To Continue Demo

Anti-capitalist protesters have vowed to continue their demonstration in London's financial district "for as long as it takes" to get their message across.

They wanted to go the stock exchange but police cordoned off the area so they set up a makeshift camp overnight outside St Paul's Cathedral which is a two minute walk away.

Some demonstrators have accused police of using disproportionate force as officers had tried to stop the camp.

Around 300 protesters, who are angry at the influence of banks on Government policy, were believed to have slept in tents outside the cathedral overnight.

Portable toilets, a make-shift kitchen, a first aid centre and a press tent were also set up.

The latest protest movement - which originally started in the US financial centre Wall Street - is now spreading across the world, including in Rome where demonstrations turned violent.

On Saturday, thousands of people descended on the area around London's stock exchange in an attempt to replicate large Occupy Wall Street demonstrations taking place in New York.

The demonstrators taking part in the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest have told Sky News they plan to stay "for as long as it takes".

Scotland Yard had said it would be "illegal and disrespectful" to camp in front of the cathedral.

But a spokesman for the Metropolitan Police later said: "We are not going to move anyone at this time."

The force also said no complaints had been received but "if anyone feels they have been unfairly treated by police they are entitled to make a complaint at a police station or online at met.police.uk".

Church services at St Paul's Cathedral have gone ahead as planned.

One clergyman told Sky News: "I don't have a problem with people being out here and expressing their right to protest."

Posters were displayed around the square. One read: "Bankers got a bailout. We got sold out."

A demonstrator told Sky News: "We hope that we can show people that it's not fair for a system which rewards bankers by bailing them out when they get things wrong but rewarding them with bonuses when they get things right.

"All the risk is on the taxpayer. We always end up paying and they always end up winning."

Another protester said the demonstration was to "challenge the bankers and the financial institutions which recklessly gambled our economy".

The protest was organised via social networking sites and people have travelled from around the UK. They are demonstrating about a range of issues including Government cuts, unemployment and the environment.

The Metropolitan Police force said it had made efforts to ensure Saturday's protest was largely peaceful.

Five arrests were made throughout the day's action in London - three for assault on police and two for public order offences.

A supporter of the demonstration, Anna Jones, claimed "a disproportionate amount of force" was used by police against protesters outside St Paul's.

She said: "We have seen people, kettled, grabbed and thrown off the steps forcefully by the police. This was entirely unnecessary. None came here to have a fight with the police."

Earlier, police began removing protesters from the cathedral steps, leading to physical confrontations, and officers expressed concerns about the cathedral's pillars being damaged by people sitting on its steps.

A Met spokesman said a "containment" was carried out in the churchyard "prevent a breach of the peace".

A day of global action on Saturday saw violent clashes in Rome, with demonstrations also taking place in New Zealand, parts of Asia and elsewhere in Europe.

Thousands took to the streets in cities including Frankfurt, Berlin, Vienna, Lisbon, Paris, Auckland and Tokyo. Around 5,000 people also marched at the scene of the initial Occupy Wall Street protests in New York.

In the Italian capital, police fired tear gas as protests developed into a riot, with bank and shop windows smashed, cars burned and bottles thrown.

Officers in riot gear also charged demonstrators and fired water cannons at them. Several officers and protesters were injured, including one man trying to stop others from throwing bottles.