Protester throws ECB press conference into chaos

A protester briefly threw the monthly press conference of Mario Draghi into chaos on Wednesday, jumping on the podium and pouring confetti over the European Central Bank president.

The 21-year old woman from Hamburg, Germany, shouted 'End the ECB dictatorship!" before she was wrestled to the ground by security.

A startled looking Mr Draghi raised his hands to his chest during the protest. The protester was then dragged into a side room off the stage while flashing a victory sign with her hand.

The authorities, who confirmed that she is being held in Police Station no 5 in Frankfurt, said that know her name but are refusing to say whether she has been charged or if she is part of any protest group.

The protester had been screened for weapons before entering the building according to the ECB.

The fracas followed the decision by the ECB's governing council earlier in the day to keep its benchmark interest rate at a record low 0.05 per cent and its deposit facility at -0.2 per cent.

"We are investigating this brief interruption to our press conference," said an ECB spokesperson.

Rumours had circulated before the press conference that anti-capitalist protesters would disrupt the meeting. Last month thousands of protesters from the Blockupy movement surrounded the ECB building and some clashed with riot police as Mr Draghi prepared to mark the inauguration of its new €1.3bn headquarters.

During the press conference Mr Draghi reiterated his commitment to continue the bank's €60bn a month landmark quantitative easing programme to try and boost eurozone inflation towards its target of two per cent.

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