Tweets: Oxford Circus "Student" Protest as it Happened

Below is a summary of my tweets from Oxrford Circus via Twitter @cjgrinbergs on Thursday 09/12/10. 

1937:  At oxford circus. Riot police out after attacks on top shop. #demo2010

1939:  Mass rush down oxford street. 8 police vehicles & at least 60 police. hard to work out who are shoppers & rioters. #demo2010

1940:  At least 40 riot police in groups, helicopter over, at least 5 riot vehicles. more sirens approaching. #demo2010

1942:  @BBCTravelAlert Buses delayed on oxford street as wild cat protest & police go through #demo2010

1945:  Chants of tory scum andpolice battons raised in centre of oxford circus #demo2010

1953:  Tube back open and buses moving down regent street. #demos2010

1956:  60-80 Protestors outside top shop. at least as many police. 10 times aa many onlookers/shoppets. 3 more police vans. #demo2010

1958: Chants up 'our street', protest group larger, contained by riot police #demo2010

2001:  Chant of 'no ifs not buts no edu cuts' & 'tory cuts' now. Is this an anti tax protest or anti #tuitionfees? #demo2010

2005:  Riot police in groups at either end oxford street, Lines holding tourists, demonstrators & police apart #Demo2010

2007:  Protestors hard to distinguish from tourists. hundreds descending. flash protest getting larger. 300 May be. #demo2010

2009:  fire in middle oxford street. 4/500 now. #Demo2010

2012:  Chants change from 'tory scum' to 'our streets' to against education cuts. unclear what focus of protest is. #demo2010

2015:  Lots of alcohol being drunk by protestors, bins used as drums, fire stoked & smell of cannabis in air. #demo2010

2019:  Scuffle with police. bottles thrown. fire quite large. still people arriving about 500 now. #demo2010

2020:  Banner appeared criticising lib dems but chants of 'our streets' #demo2010

2028:  Fireworks and larger missiles thrown. Cheers go up everytime riot police forced back. more threatening now. #Demo2010

2032:  Group splits. at least 600 rush up oxford street. police don't stop or control #demo2010

2034:  Tube closed, buses stopped, thinner crowd and street cleaners already in place. #demo2010

2037:  Protestors on bikes circle everywhere and head off down oxford circus to next flash protest #demo2010

2040:  Lots of mobiles with social media apps open. may be reports of next protest. #demo2010

2044:  bus driver tells me protestors pulled emergency engine cut on all buses they passed down oxford street. at least 10 still stopped #demo2010

2046Heavy security in shops. many cleaning mess or guarding

2049:  Shoppers reactions: 'at least h&m's still open' 'we all av to suffer cuts' but mainly bemused/intrigued. #Demo2010

2052:  crowds clearing, still 6 police vans plus loads of officers at oxford circus. #demo2010

2117:  On way home, life on oxford street returns to normal but I remember why I wanted & trained to be a journalist #demo2010

2154:  Protestors failed to disrupt royal variety but prince charles car got it. didn't realise i was that close into things. #demo10

2208:  RT @gedrobinson Spot on 'headline' on ITN. "Rioters hijack student protests."

2208:  RT @voyagerd79 Sorry students, you have lost all credibility after what you have done today.

2212:  Policing I saw was surprisingly careful given closeness of prince charles but protestors tested firmly. #demo10

2214:  @TimothyJMoore It was nasty & the protestors were throwing large items & using flash mob techniques. Reports about right.

2218:  Reporting on news seems fair to me: protestors used flash mob techmiques, threw large items & were not provoked by police.

2222:  News has missed fact that protestors' slogans showed many non-fees participants & heavy presence of alcohol/drugs. They weren't all students

2225: Given selection of top shop & prince charles as targets, not just parliament/gov depts makes me wonder some protestors' motivations