12 held in London after day of Syria protests

A dozen protesters have been arrested amid violent scenes at the Syrian embassy in London as the United Nations failed to agree a resolution despite a new wave of killing by the Damascus regime.

Scotland Yard said six people were arrested on suspicion of public order offences this afternoon when a chanting crowd used missiles to smash several of the building’s windows.

It came hours after five were detained for storming the embassy in protest against the brutal crackdown of the Syrian uprising and another on suspicion of assaulting a police officer.

Tensions were fuelled by an assault by Syrian security forces against the southern city of Homs overnight which was reported to have killed upwards of 250 people.

Angry scenes in central London were mirrored in cities across Europe and the Middle East – including Libya and Tunisia where Arab Spring uprisings have already succeeded in removing regimes.

Tunisia announced that it would withdraw its recognition of President Bashar Assad’s leadership and expel the Syrian ambassador.

But the Homs bombardment, the bloodiest episode so far in the 11-month battle between Assad and pro-democracy protesters, did not unlock a diplomatic stand-off over UN action.

Britain accused China and Russia of encouraging Assad’s “killing machine” after they vetoed a draft resolution aimed at ending the violence and securing a peaceful transfer of power.

Intense lobbying at a rare weekend session of the UN in New York failed to end the two countries’ resistance – sparking bitter international condemnation.

British Foreign Secretary William Hague said the twin veto was “an hour of shame” for the UN and that Russia and China had sided with the regime over the people of Syria and the Arab League.

“Their approach lets the Syrian people down, and will only encourage President Assad’s brutal regime to increase the killing, as it has done in Homs over the past 24 hours,” he said.

The draft resolution, tabled by Morocco, did not impose sanctions or open the door to military action and contained nothing that warranted opposition, he said.

It repeated conditions set down by Arab League foreign ministers last month for a Syrian-led political transition in which Assad would delegate his powers to a deputy.

Mr Hague said the assault on Homs – which has been at the centre of the pro-democracy protests – was “all the more chilling” as it came on the 30th anniversary of the Hama massacre.

Around 20,000 people died in the 1982 operation by the Syrian army – then under the orders of president Hafez Assad – the father of the present leader.

The UN says around 6,000 people have died so far in the latest crackdown and Mr Hague said 2,000 had died since the last time the two countries exercised the veto.

“How many more need to die before Russia and China allow the UN Security Council to act?”

Russia and China were condemned in a series of outspoken attacks by the other members of the Security Council – the US saying it was “disgusted”.

The UK’s ambassador, Mark Lyall Grant, said: “They have failed in their responsibility as permanent members of the Security Council and they have done so on the most shameful day of the Syrian killing machine’s 300 days of repression.”

A crowd of around 150 tried to storm the London embassy in the early hours and a similar-sized crowd demanding the closure of the diplomatic post and throwing missiles returned later on.

As passions flared, protesters climbed on top of barriers before police reinforcements arrived in large vans and the demonstrators were driven back across the road.

After some confusion and a brief confrontation with officers who had their sticks drawn, the group was penned in behind barriers across the road from the embassy.

At least one police officer was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

The British Foreign Office condemned the violence and said security was being reviewed by Scotland Yard which would take “appropriate action to ensure the safety of the building”.

Human rights campaigner Peter Tatchell joined the calls for the Syrian ambassador to be expelled.

“It is intolerable that we allow the Syrian ambassador to remain in London after this latest massacre of civilians by his government,” he said.