FRANKFURT, Germany, April 15 (UPI) -- Mario Draghi, president of the European Central Bank, was interrupted Wednesday at a press conference in Frankfurt by a confetti and paper-throwing protester.
The incident occurred minutes into Draghi's opening remarks about the Governing Council's monetary policy decisions.
An unidentified young woman wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with "End Dick-Tatorship" leapt onto Draghi's desk at the press conference, threw confetti and papers while shouting "End ECB Dictatorship." The woman, reportedly a member of the FEMEN protest organization, was quickly removed and taken into custody.
PICTURE OF THE DAY: #Draghi a̶t̶t̶a̶c̶k̶e̶d̶ having a party during #ECB press conference. pic.twitter.com/aCPBsbZZSE
— Maxime Sbaihi (@MxSba) April 15, 2015Reporters made light of the interruption, with one tweeting "I think Draghi is now trying to make up for the excitement at the beginning by making the rest of his presser exceptionally boring."
I think Draghi is now trying to make up for the excitement at the beginning by making the rest of his presser exceptionally boring.
— Gabriele Steinhauser (@gksteinhauser) April 15, 2015The ECB headquarters in Frankfurt was the site of a large protest in March. Draghi has previously acknowledged the ECB has been a "focal point for those frustrated" with continuing economic hardship.
