Occupy London - POLICE are told to move on. Protesters welcome to sit near cathedral!

www.guardian.co.uk...

Police told to move along as anti-bank protesters camp out at St Paul's
Occupy London protesters set for long haul outside cathedral as global action against financial institutions gains momentum

In their stand against mammon, protesters occupying St Paul's churchyard to vent anger at reckless bankers found heartwarming support emanating from the house of God.

Far from requesting that the 300-strong crowd be removed from the cathedral steps on Sunday , the Rev Dr Giles Fraser, canon chancellor of St Paul's, requested that the police themselves move on as the Occupy London Stock Exchange protest entered its second day.

A line of officers had taken up position at the top of the steps to "protect" the building. "Which was very good of them," explained the canon. But then he had asked them if they would leave, "because I didn't feel that it needed that sort of protection"

Absolutely fantastic. I had to read this twice just to make sure I wasn't imagining things.

And for those idiots who keep harping on about it being socialists or communists, I think the next quote pretty much sums it up.

"I'm 40. Never been on a protest before. But I found myself here," said one man, who asked not to be named, from Sheffield. "I'm pretty middle of the road politically, so I wasn't sure about all the Socialist Workers placards at first. But this issue has attracted people from all walks of life. I'm a diehard atheist – there's a woman over there with a 'Jesus is Calling' placard. It's all of us."

reply to post by mr-lizard


maybe if the protesters researched how wealthy the church of england is they might........

Good article on OWS by Billy Bragg, someone who's views I find myself sharing with more often.

For those of us frustrated by the melancholy mood that seems to have gripped the population in the face of the on-coming financial crash, the party conference season won’t have offered much hope. Although Labour’s Ed Miliband began groping toward an alternative to the free market orthodoxy of New Labour – his rather clunky designation of ‘predator’ companies – our three main parties remain chained to a globalisation agenda that is about to go off the edge of an abyss.

www.billybragg.co.uk...

That's great! And well said OP S&F!!

Much betterthan this - the polar opposite occurance in Times Square

One Marine v 30 Cops - Occupy Times Square thread

reply to post by woodwardjnr


While i agree with the protesters, i find it hard to agree with Billy Bragg spouting off his socialist mantras whilst living the life of a millionaire. Fair play to him, he has been successful in his life and has achieved what he wanted and i would not begrudge anybody of that. However, when he then makes some of the statements that he does it does smack of total hypocrisy at times.

On topic, bloody well done to the Rev!

reply to post by Flavian


Did you read the article? He has no problem with people making money, just the damaging effects of globalised capitalism.

We need to change the balance in our economy to ensure that a greater percentage of profits are paid as wages to workers rather than as dividends for shareholders. Yes, investors should expect a return on their money, but since the power of the unions was broken in the 1980s, wages have been seen as little more than a hindrance to the profitability of the stock market. To increase demand, we need to put our economy on a different trajectory.

www.billybragg.co.uk...

Better than Australia. They had the riot police come and confiscate people's belongings, now the OS protest has fizzled out

Good on the Rev!
Thank's for posting always good to read some good news
I hope the movement picks up more momentum each time.
It seems the world is actually mobilizing and doing something about it instead of laying back, more of us need to join.
Enough is enough.
S&F

St Pauls yet again becomes a symbol of British peoples defiance.

My cockles are warmed..

reply to post by woodwardjnr


In fairness, i did not read that particular article. The words 'billy bragg' are like poison to me! His points in the article may actually be true and worthy but i still stand by my comments regarding him. Even if he occasionally speaks a lot of sense he is also often very hypocritical in his views.

Like i said originally, i am all in favour of these protests. And all anti Billy Bragg

Wow, this is the moment, that even an old atheist like me sides up with the church !
Congrats to Rev. Fraser.

reply to post by mr-lizard


I cant heip but think with all the greif the churchis getting and not to mention the rediculess amount of wealth the church of England has amassed that they are just trying to stay out of the line of fire.Typical church hypocrasy afer all isnt the c of e an enormous multinational corperation?

reply to post by ignorant_ape


And what would you rather the Chancellor of ST Paul's do allow the police the remove those protestors? He has took a stance Thumbs up to him. As long as they remain peaceful. They are allowed to remain there as long as they want.

How ever, The police have started using, health and safety tactics. They removed the Portia Cabins. Since it is not a containment in their opinion, the portia cabins are no longer needed.

Will be interesting to see how the Police handle this.

Starred and Flagged.

It was the sensible thing to do, a line of the filth will just attract people to attack them and whatever they are defending.

He knew that people would be peaceful if they were left to do what they wanted.

Its this type of policing that starts a lot of trouble at peaceful events, yet they just stand by and watch rioters loot.

Will be interesting to see how the Police handle this.

It certainly wouldn't surprise me if there isn't an undercover police presence in this movement. It's a tactic they have used on more than one occasion.

reply to post by woodwardjnr


Has anyone noticed the Mainstream, Media are not covering this as much as they have over the weekend. I swear the Government is inter veering and pressuring them to stop showing footage of the Protest.

We the funders off the BBC should write to them demanding that since we pay for them to broadcast they should be covering this protest.

I know wouldn't surprise me either, they have done before and been exposed for doing so.

reply to post by Suspiria


Iconic Picture!!

Fits perfectly into what is going on right now near St Paul's.

Star for you!

reply to post by AnonymousFem


How many people are actually protesting? If only a small number, that may be the reason for no media coverage (rather than media manipulation of an event). Seriously, there are hundreds of protests about various things most weekends around the UK with only a tiny number of those getting even hundreds turning up and we rarely hear about them.

On the other hand, if loads of people are protesting and still no coverage, then

reply to post by Flavian


And how many were there over the weekend?

Thousands. You might try and think the protest is irrelevant. I can guarantee you it is not. The more people see it and understand what the protest is for. They will join, or support it. If you do not support it then your with the Bankers and the Criminals. Besides there are more protests in the pipeline coming up, Students protests, Cuts Protests.

You stating they were not trying to manipulate the coverage? I watched reports from different channels over the weekend. Some were saying the Protestors clashed with the Police, when footage showed it was the Police who instigated it. There is manipulating coverage for you.

reply to post by mr-lizard




This really is everyone.... a good mix of everyone.

There is no party political bickering, no religious nonsense, no right/left crap, none of the usual bollocks that goes with these kinds of things,


This is just people who are pissed off with the greed and corruption that has engulfed every aspect of people's lives... from the very government who is there to represent and serve us, to the companies who are climbing over each other to rip us off... to the banks who have been bailed out with OUR money and yet who refuse to lend that money back to help people in need.


People are just sick and tired and I really hope, at the very least, that these people who caused this and who are making money from people's misery.... actually listen and feel something for a change.