BY most accounts yesterday's massive Put People First march in central London passed off peacefully. It brought togther about 120 organisations within a coalition of trade unions, charities, non-governmental organisations and churches in what can only be called a catch-all protest. The banners ranged from climate change to Gaza, from jobs to disarmament and from the environment to Third World poverty - reflecting the perception of the general public that any meeting of 20 of the most important countries in the world must cover most of the evils and shortcomings of global governance.
This was the first event of what is expected to be an almost continuous protest in London until the G20 meeting is over at the end of the week.
For many years the annual G8 meetings of the world's leading industrial nations were subject to violent protests; eventually their organisers moved out of city centres to remote and relatively inaccessible locations -Britain's choice three years ago was the Gleneagles Hotel in Scotland. It would, however, have been a mistake to opt for isolation for this G20 meeting which will be held in London's Docklands area. Politicians should not be detached from the proximity of public displeasure - provided always that protest is orderly. There have been threats of violence in the coming days, mostly aimed at banks but some probably having only the purpose of violence for its own sake. It will be a testing time for the police and other public services.
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