Legal action is being taken to evict hundreds of anti-capitalist protesters who have been camped outside St Paul’s Cathedral in London for almost two weeks.
St Paul’s and the City of London Corporation will seek separate High Court injunctions in a bid to clear more than 200 tents.
A spokesman for St Paul’s called the action “regrettably necessary”.
The news came as the doors of cathedral opened to worshippers after being closed since last Friday – for the first time since the Second World War.
Hundreds of people attended the Eucharist at 12.30pm, including some of the Occupy London Stock Exchange protesters.
The decison to take legal action came a day after St Paul’s chancellor Canon Dr Giles Fraser resigned, fearing plans to evict the protesters could lead to violence.
He said he could not tolerate the possibility of an eviction similar to that at the illegal travellers’ site at Dale Farm.
Hours after Dr Fraser’s resignation, former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord George Carey launched a stinging attack on the leadership of St Paul’s.
He said its handling of the protests was a “debacle” that threatened the very reputation of Christianity.
Legal action is being taken amid fears the protests could drag on for years, similar to those in Parliament Square.
“The long-drawn legal battle over Parliament Square has made it imperative to get the very best legal advice about how to keep the City’s highways free of campers,” the City of London Corporation said on its webite.
“Of course, we fully support the right of people to express their views through peaceful demonstration, but no city can be a campsite.”
The camp was set up on October 15 after activists gathered in the City of London to attempt an occupation of the London Stock Exchange in imitation of anti-capitalist protests in Wall Street.
When police cordoned off the entrances to the square where the stock exchange is located, protesters set up tents in front of nearby St Paul’s instead.
The demonstration was part of a worldwide day of action by anti-capitalists which lead to violence in cities such as Rome.
The protesters have vowed to oppose any action taken to remove the tents.
Ronan McNern, a spokesman for the Occupy London Stock Exchange campsite, said the injunctions were only in the “interest of big business”.
He added: “This decision will take us into a long and protracted legal battle which will cost a lot of money.
“We will not accept any offer to stay here without the campsite – if you take away the tents you take away the sense of community we have managed to create here.”
See also:
Statement from the Dean and Chapter
http://www.stpauls.co.uk/News-Press/Latest-News/Statement-from-the-Dean-and-Chapter-28-October-2011
The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2011/oct/28/st-pauls-injunction-evict-occupy-london
City of London Corporation
http://www.cityoflondon.gov.uk/Corporation/media_centre/news_2011/stpauls_court_action.htm