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Woman leaps onto desk demanding democracy

The protester jumps onto a table in front of European Central Bank President Mario Draghi in Frankfurt, April 15, 2015. [Photo/Agencies]

A protester claiming that the European Central Bank (ECB) was not democratic and did deals "under the table" shocked President Mario Draghi by leaping onto a desk in front of him as he spoke during a news conference in Frankfurt.

Clad in a T-shirt bearing the message "End the ECB dictatorship" while shouting the same words, the woman photobombed the podium and stood over Draghi showering him with confetti and sheets of paper shouting about "this illegitimate institution" and that "a press conference is not enough to call it democracy".

A startled Draghi held up his hands during the confetti shower before a brief interruption. He later returned to the podium to continue the news conference.

The ECB said the activist had registered as a journalist and had gone through security checks before entering the building.

The ECB has been at pains to distance itself from politics in Europe but many distrust the influential institution. Violent protests in Frankfurt have blamed the ECB for spending cuts demanded in Greece and elsewhere.