People take to streets

A banner in Barcelona reading There was a man in a gorilla suit, Ethiopian campaigners, socialist workers and green activists. On April 2 and 3, as leaders of the G20 discussed ways to extricate the world out of the financial rut, pressure-washers were turned on Wellington's statue outside the Bank of England and a band played I am changing my name to Chrysler.

Tens of thousands had taken to the streets in European cities on March 28 as well. In Rome, protesters threw red paint, egg and smoke bombs at banks and insurance companies. In London placard-waving crowd of 35,000 snaked along a six km route. The gathering was peaceful. But Chris Knight, professor of anthropology at the University of East London was suspended two days before. His crime: he said bankers will hang on lamposts.