FRANKFURT: The Euro­pean Central Bank dismissed speculation of an early end to its ultra-easy money policy at a protest-marred press conference on Wednesday, saying its medicine is already fuelling economic recovery.

The ECB’s governing council, meeting a day earlier than usual because of weekend meetings of the World Bank and IMF, voted to hold its key interest rates at all-time lows.

The traditionally staid post-meeting news conference was briefly interrupted when a young woman charged at ECB chief Mario Draghi calling for an “end to the ECB dictatorship”. She was quickly apprehended and escorted out of the premises before the news conference resumed.

Police told AFP afterwards that the woman from Hamburg had had a valid media accreditation. She was questioned by police but later released, a police spokesman said.

The ECB has frequently been the target of protests, but this was the first time a demonstrator has actually infiltrated the building, where security is normally extremely tight.

Published in Dawn, April 16th, 2015

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