London - Organisers of the demonstration which led to the disturbances in the City of London last Friday had rebuffed attempts by police to discuss arrangements, the Home Secretary, Mr Jack Straw, told the House of Commons yesterday. Meanwhile a spokesman for the Corporation of London said that cleaning up the area worst hit will cost around £2 million.
Mr Straw said "the wholly deplorable outbreak of violence" had been "plainly premeditated". He declared: "The refusal of the organisers to discuss with the police how the event was to be handled was wholly irresponsible." Mr Straw said he had talks with the Lord Mayor of London, Lord Levene, seven weeks ago about the demonstration, which organisers called a "Carnival Against Capitalism".