24/10/2011

St Paul's Seeks Occupation Protesters Removal

St Paul's Cathedral in London is receiving legal advice on removing a camp of protesters that set up last week outside its entrance.

The Cathdral said it was forced to shut on Friday because of the protesters, and is losing £20,000 in revenue as hundreds of people engaged in the Occupy the London Stock Exchange movement continue their sit in protest.

Officials at the Cathedral added that the protest was causing "health and safety concerns".

However, an Occupy spokesman said on Saturday they had received reassurance from the Chancellor of St Paul’s Cathedral, Reverend Canon Dr Giles Fraser, that their activities were "not harming the Cathedral’s commercial concerns".

The spokesman added that they had endeavoured to "clarify perceived health and safety issues" and continued to place these as a priority for the health and safety of everyone, both inside and outside of the historic Cathedral.

"Unfortunately, despite our requests of the Cathedral, they have not provided us with details and information as to how we are perceived to be threatening health and safety. We once again urge the Cathedral to bring to our attention, immediately, the particular details of the health and safety issues to address them.

"Our concern is if there are health and safety issues (which we in any event refute) by the Church failing to tell of them, they are exacerbating any perceived dangers."

A confusing message from Rev Giles Fraser on Sunday then said that those who were claiming that the decision to close the cathedral had been made for commercial reasons were "talking complete nonsense".

"I remain firmly supportive of the right of people peacefully to protest," The reverend said, adding "but given the strong advice that we have received that the camp is making the cathedral and its occupants unsafe then this right has to be balanced against other rights and responsibilities too. The Christian gospel is profoundly committed to the needs of the poor and the dispossessed."

The Occupy the London Stock Exchange movement is part of hundred of global protests against the excesses of the financial systems and its links to politics. The London branch says it is sympathetic to the cathedral's plight but believes the closure is an overreaction. Members of the group say they have received assurances from the fire service and Health and Safety Executive that the camp poses no such risk.

(DW/BMcC)

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