THE FINTAG NEWSLETTER
@ Thu 02 April 2009 : GMT

FINTAG COMMENT

It was a riot.

Yesterday I went undercover to witness mindless vandalism, listen to naïve rantings and take revealing photos. Oh, and to twitter the experience too.

The first G20 protesters were on bicycles. About 20 of them. The boarded up buildings and shops was a bit over the top although thought the main target, RBS, should have at least made an attempt at boarding up its ground floor windows.

I went away thinking it was all a damp squid (sic). Sitting in a Starbucks I had a green tea and went back out. I headed to the music where a boom box was pounding out radical songs (on one of the air vents at Bank tube) and within seconds a curtain of dayglo clad policeman had trapped us all like wasps in a jam jar. All exits were closed.

So like a bunch of naughty schoolchildren, the protesters started to behave like them. Picnics were had, slogans scrawled on the walls of buildings and dope smoked.

The Bank of England was soon covered in posters and graffiti and I had worked out a ratio of tourists / camera people / media to protesters of 10 to 1. It was silly. Photos were taken of everything. The cameras goaded a couple of Italian (probably) anarchists to ram a pole into an RBS window and kids ran around thinking they were members of the IRA.

Later we had some pushing and shoving and the party broke into pieces. And then I left with lots of photos and comfort that these protesters were students and 1960s drop outs. So it will soon be forgotten about. The media has focused on some violence but what I saw was mostly bored journalists and twitters and people urinating.

The love in at the G20 between 2 grown men was shall we say, embarrassing, and the very naughty German and French leaders led by example. The whole event will cost millions. Clearing up the mess and clearing up the mess.

G20 LEADERS CRAFT CRISIS RESPONSE

reutersFintag says
Good luck. What concerned me yesterday were the lack of facilities. Like toilets. I mean, even the police were struggling ...is urinating against the Bank of England a criminal act?

BIG PAYOUTS WERE PLANNED FOR FAIRFIELD EXECUTIVES

dealbookFintag says
Nice. But at the time they didn't know they were money launderers. Or did they?

times says " Bernard Madoff feeder hedge fund, Fairfield Greenwich, accused of deception "

G20 CDS

aleaFintag says
Argentina. Nice. As usual.

Here are some more jokes:

business pundit (ht ftalphaville) says " 10 Most Hilarious April Fool's Pranks (by Companies) "

SEC EXAMINING OVERSIGHT OF CREDIT RATING AGENCIES

big pictureFintag says
Snails.

G20 TO REGULATE BIG HEDGE FUNDS: DRAFT COMMUNIQUE

new york timesFintag says
That is going to make a lot of difference.

DUTCH PENSION FUND INCREASES HEDGE FUNDS WEIGHTING

hedge funds reviewFintag says
Nice Dutch people.

financial news says " GLG Partners' global equities fund ranks last "

CAR PLANT WORKERS OCCUPY FACTORY

bbcFintag says
Strikes. Sit-ins. Protests. It is all so 2009.

HIGHBRIDGE'S INFLOWS SIGNAL RETURN TO FUNDS

financial timesFintag says
The good times are back.