Prince William arrives in Falklands for tour of duty sparking riots in Buenos Aires

• Mob attacks branch of HSBC Bank in the capital
• It follows announcement that warship HMS Dauntless will set sail for the South Atlantic

By Leon Watson

Last updated at 1:23 AM on 3rd February 2012

He's been branded a 'conqueror', and the lead up to his visit sparked a wave protests in Argentina.

But when Prince William touched down in the disputed Falkland Islands he got a warm welcome. In Argentina however, violence broke out.

The Duke of Cambridge's arrival, ahead of a tour of duty as an RAF search and rescue pilot, comes as the Royal Navy prepares to send one of its most advanced new warships to the area.

Controversial: Prince William arrives on the Falkland islands aboard a Titan Airways Boeing 767

Masked members of Quebracho group, brandishing clubs, march to protest against Prince William's military posting

Protesters gather in front of HSBC bank in Buenos Aires as Prince William touched down in the Falklands

Prince William, the Duke of Cambridge, pictured at the controls of a Sea King helicopter has been deployed to the politically sensitive Falkland Islands

It has already led to controversy in Argentina which claims the prince will be wearing the uniform of a 'conqueror' when he deploys.

Today, masked demonstrators brandishing clubs hurled paint bombs at the front door of the HSBC Bank branch in the capital Buenos Aires.

It followed a march led by around 50 members of the Quebracho group which claims sovereignty of the Falkland Islands for Argentina called on the national government to cut trade relations with Britain.

At the rally in the city's Retiro neighbourhood, in front of a monument to the Argentine soldiers killed in the 1982 conflict, the Quebracho leader Esteche Fernando said 'we must cut our losses' against 'imperial policy'.

'You have to cut trade relations with Great Britain,' he said, accompanied by hundreds of masked men armed with sticks.

Asked if the arrival of William was a 'provocation' by London, he added: 'This sort of reigniting the Falkland Islands British foreign policy is more about hiding the financial crisis and economic suffering.

'But it is a continuation of imperial policy, and whether a crisis point or not, it is a strategic reconfiguration of energy resources.'

The Argentinean government today claimed William's deployment was a distraction from Britain's 'internal problems'.

Vice-president Amado Boudou told the country's La Red radio station that the move was a case of 'bravado' to mask high unemployment and the prospect of Scottish independence.

His words follow reports that Buenos Aires is putting pressure on a Chilean airline to stop weekly flights to the Falklands which pass through Argentine airspace.

David Cameron's official spokesman said such 'threats' were 'not new,' adding: 'Clearly, we hope that that flight will not be cut, but there are also RAF services from London to the Falklands and these will continue.'

The Ministry of Defence said William's six-week posting to the remote outcrop, which Buenos Aires calls Las Malvinas, was part of a 'a routine operational deployment'.

The Duke - who has flown to the archipelago as part of a crew of four RAF personnel - will attend a series of briefings and take part in a 'familiarisation flight' before he begins his search and rescue work.

Masked demonstrators lift their sticks during the protest against the arrival of Britain's Prince William to the Falkland Islands

Pedestrians walk by a graffiti which reads 'English, get out of Malvinas', that was painted during a protest on the front door of an HSBC Bank (right) and a protester lobs a paint bomb at the branch

A masked demonstrator hurls a bottle containing paint at the front door of the HSBC Bank branch

A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: 'MOD can confirm Flight Lieutenant Wales, as part of a four-man Search and Rescue crew, has arrived in the Falkland Islands on a routine operational deployment and will shortly take up SAR duties post a period of briefings and a familiarisation flight.'

The Duchess, who will not be joining her husband abroad, will have the latest addition to their family - a male cocker spaniel puppy - for company while he is away.

The Duke's deployment in the Falklands comes amid a diplomatic war of words between the British and Argentine Governments.

Prince William and Kate Middleton, who will not be joining her husband abroad

It follows an announcement that HMS Dauntless, an ultra-modern Type 45 destroyer, is due to set sail for the South Atlantic on her maiden mission in the coming months.

She is expected to replace frigate HMS Montrose in the region.

The Royal Navy has rejected suggestions the decision to send the destroyer to the area was a riposte to increased tensions over the sovereignty of the Falklands and said the ship's deployment was long planned.

The Royal Navy's HMS Dauntless, which is being sent to the Falkland Islands, the Ministry of Defence said

William's posting has been similarly defended by the MoD as part of a 'normal' squadron rotation.

But it has been branded a 'provocative act' by Argentina.

In the latest salvo, the country's Foreign Ministry said it 'rejected the British attempt to militarise (the) conflict' and expressed regret that an heir to the throne would arrive wearing 'the uniform of a conqueror'.

David Cameron and Argentine president Cristina Fernandez have previously accused each other of 'colonial' behaviour, while Argentine official Sebastian Brugo Marco last year said the country could not ignore the 'political' implications of William's deployment.

General Sir David Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff, dismissed the claims, saying: 'I can absolutely tell you it wasn't and isn't designed to be.'

William, who has worked as a Sea King pilot while based at his north Wales home on Anglesey, is following in the footsteps of his younger brother, Prince Harry, who was sent to Afghanistan as a forward air controller in 2008.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2095503/Prince-William-arri...
Check out the member blogs, videos, and discussions http://12160.info/