St Paul's Closed, Occupy Camp To Remain

BethPH
By BethPH Last edited 158 months ago

Last Updated 22 October 2011

St Paul's Closed, Occupy Camp To Remain


The OccupyLSX protest camp celebrates its first week today with a variety of activities. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for St Paul's Cathedral which was forced to closelast week over safety fears.

Although events have remained peaceful, the Dean of St Paul's has asked for the protesters to withdraw and allow them to continue normal service, citing fire, health and safety issues. Occupy disagree, expressing in a statement on their website that they had done everything they could to accommodate the Cathedral and reiterating their intent to stay put.

Today's anniversary celebration included an invitation to come and meet the people involved with the protest (an offer already taken up by the Guardian who sent a reporter down to spend the night and exchange witticisms with passersby), a public assembly with updates from Occupiers around the globe, a roundtable discussion on the economic state of the nation and an address by writer and activist Nawal el Saadawi from Tahrir Square. It will not involve donations to St Paul's though, according to this somewhat nose-thumbing statement from Occupy:

We also understand that some individuals were in the process of arranging for a contribution to be made to St Paul’s in recognition of their hospitality. It is a shame the Cathedral authorities have decided to take this action before those preparations came to fruition, as we expected them to in the next 12 hours.

Boris Johnson and David Cameron have also been issued with an open invitation, though we suspect the protesters may have a long wait. Though taking into account the notoriously enduring peace camp at Parliament Square and the Occupy protesters' determination to remain indefinitely, time could be on their side.