Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank, has been showered in confetti by a female protester who interrupted his monthly press conference in Frankfurt screaming: “End ECB ‘dick-tatorship’”.

Protester disrupts European Central Bank press conference - live updates Read more

The woman, wearing a black T-shirt carrying the same slogan, clambered on top of the desk where Draghi was delivering his opening speech after the bank’s latest policy meeting. She threw a handful of papers at him, and sprinkled confetti into the air.



Facebook Twitter Pinterest The ECB has come under fire over its austerity drive. Photograph: Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty

It was unclear what point the protester hoped to make, but copies of the leaflets she was throwing, which later emerged on Twitter, accused the ECB of exercising “arrogance” and “autocratic hegemony”. She was identified by the police as a 21-year-old from Hamburg.

Responsibility for the protest was claimed by the feminist campaign group Femen, whose bare-breasted activists have previously targeted Vladimir Putin. The woman later identified herself as Josephine Witt in an interview with Bloomberg.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The protester is stopped. Photograph: Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty

Draghi reappeared on stage a few minutes later and carried on with his opening remarks.

He said the risks to the eurozone economy had eased in recent weeks, helped by the plunge in global oil prices. “The lower level of the price of oil should continue to support households’ real disposable income and corporate profitability. And therefore private consumption and investment.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest The woman is carried away by security. Photograph: Daniel Roland/AFP/Getty

Draghi also confirmed the ECB’s decision to leave its policy rate on hold, and argued that its quantitative easing policy, which involves buying €60bn (£43bn) a month of bonds, was already bearing fruit, and would continue for as long as necessary.

Asked about the possibility that Greece, which was downgraded further by the S&P credit rating agency on Wednesday, could default on its bailout, Draghi said: “I don’t even want to contemplate that. And based on the Greek government leaders’ statements this option is not contemplated by themselves as well. So I’m not ready to discuss any possible situation like that.”