After A Balcony Protest, Eight People Were Arrested At An Oligarch's London Mansion

According to authorities, a protest at a home tied to Vladimir Putin associate Oleg Deripaska resulted in eight arrests.

Around midnight, protesters occupied the balcony of 5 Belgrave Square in downtown London, where they remained for the rest of the day, despite police attempts to remove them.

The squatters said the property was being reclaimed for Ukrainian migrants.

The Metropolitan Police Service announced shortly before 20:00 GMT that the protests had ended and that eight persons had been arrested in total.

Four people were arrested inside the building, and four more outside, according to a spokeswoman.

Although a presence will be kept at the location tonight, police said they have checked the property and are certain there is no one left inside.

Mr Deripaska, a billionaire energy tycoon, is one of the oligarchs sanctioned by the UK government in the aftermath of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Four people were arrested for trespassing at 18:00 GMT, according to a Met Police spokeswoman, as protesters attempted to climb the back of the building, which houses the Romanian consulate.

Earlier in the day, riot police had entered the property and searched it, but no one was inside.

Despite police negotiators' best efforts, four people remained on the balcony, and a spokeswoman said they would be watched overnight.

The London Makhnovists were named after Ukrainian anarchist Nestor Makhno, who led an uprising against the Russian White Army in 1918-21.

One of the protestors, standing on the balcony, informed journalists that by reclaiming the building for migrants leaving their homes, they were doing the government's work for them.

"Don't worry, [Home Secretary] Priti Patel, we took care of your work - we took care of the housing, just send them here, we took care of the accommodation," he remarked. Refugees are always welcome!

"We want this property to belong to Ukrainian refugees," said the group. Their homes have been demolished, and this guy [Deripaska] has been a staunch supporter of the war."

The "ridiculous" estate, according to the group, featured roughly 200 rooms, was "filthy fancy," and contained "so much stuff a normal human being would never need," including a home theater and works of art.