Protesters clash with police as London Gaza demo attended by 20,000
Violent clashes between police and around 10,000 protesters outside the Israeli Embassy brought streets around London to a standstill.
Windows were smashed and policemen were injured - with one officer knocked unconscious in the running battles and two requiring treatment for facial injuries.
The protesters - mainly young men - knocked down barriers threw missiles including eggs, red paint, sticks and shoes as 300 officers in full riot gear tried to maintain the peace.
There were reports that some protesters had tried to set fire to police vans.
The violence, which broke out in front of the Israeli Embassy, appeared to be led by a hard-core of masked and hooded youths.
A national demonstration against Israel's attack marched from Speakers' Corner at Hyde Park today to the Israeli embassy in High Street Kensington.
There was a heavy police presence lining the route taken by the protesters.
Chanting 'free, free Palestine', the crowd was led through the streets of London by a vocal group of largely young men.
A Starbucks coffee shop in the area was stripped of chairs and had its front windows smashed, and protestors also removed fittings from the shop.
Residents living in flats above watched the scenes from their windows, and many people pleaded with police to let them out of the cordon.
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