Five arrested ahead of G20 protest in London

Five people suspected of planning to disrupt the G20 summit have been arrested under the Terrorism Act after police seized imitation weapons and home-made explosive devices in London, The Times reports.

The five, all from the Plymouth area, appeared in court today. They can be held for up to 28 days for questioning.
Those arrested include a 16-year-old boy and two women aged 20, who were held after a police raid on the home of a man arrested for spraying graffiti on a wall in Plymouth city centre on Friday night.

The 25-year-old man was caught spraying «Antifa» on a wall, police said. Antifa – short for anti-facist – is a group that campaigns against racism and the far Right.

Officers seized imitation weapons including a replica AK-47 Kalashnikov assault rifle and a number of explosive devices made from fireworks.

They also seized «political literature» believed to include anarchist and anti-capitalist publications.

The five were taken to Plymouth Magistrates' Court this afternoon where police applied for warrants for their further detention. The hearings took place in private and no information was released. Police have not disclosed any names although one of those detained is believed to be an international student of Greek origin.