1. The current system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them.
2. We are of all ethnicities, backgrounds, genders, generations, sexualities dis/abilities and faiths. We stand together with occupations all over the world.
3. We refuse to pay for the banks' crisis.
4. We do not accept the cuts as either necessary or inevitable. We demand an end to global tax injustice and our democracy representing corporations instead of the people.
5. We want regulators to be genuinely independent of the industries they regulate.
6. We support the strike on 30 November and the student action on 9 November, and actions to defend our health services, welfare, education and employment, and to stop wars and arms dealing.
7. We want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world's resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich.
8. The present economic system pollutes land, sea and air, is causing massive loss of natural species and environments, and is accelerating humanity towards irreversible climate change. We call for a positive, sustainable economic system that benefits present and future generations.
9. We stand in solidarity with the global oppressed and we call for an end to the actions of our government and others in causing this oppression.

By 17 October, an encampment of around 150 tents together with makeshift tarpaulin shelters was clustered around the west side of St Paul's Cathedral.^[23][24][25]

On 21 October, the Dean of St Paul's announced that the cathedral would be closing until further notice as a result of the Occupy London camp pitched outside, and asked the protesters to leave the vicinity of the building "so that the cathedral can reopen as soon as possible".^[26][27][28] On the evening of the 21st it was reported that the protesters had decided that they would remain in their encampment outside the cathedral, and that they believed that they could not be lawfully removed from the site without a court order.^[29]

On 22 October, the protesters established a second camp in Finsbury Square, just north of the City of London in the London Borough of Islington.^[30][31][32]

On 26 October it was reported that the Dean of St Paul's had decided that the cathedral would reopen on 28 October, following the resolution of all health and safety concerns.^[33][34] The move was described as an "embarrassing U-turn" by the British national newspaper The Daily Telegraph.^[33]

On 27 October, Dr Giles Fraser resigned as Canon Chancellor of St Paul's over disagreements on the handling of the demonstrators, saying "I resigned because I believe that the chapter has set on a course of action that could mean there will be violence in the name of the church."^[35][36]

On 28 October, the movement's first set of demands, "Democratise The City of London Corporation", was published.^[37]

November

On 1 November The Rt Revd Graeme Knowles the Dean of St Paul's resigned following the backlash against his Chapter's resolution to forcibly evict the Occupy London protesters from outside the cathedral.^[38] The City of London Corporation proceeded to take legal action against the camp at St Pauls, without support from the Cathedral. Canary Wharf Group took legal action on the 3rd to prevent Occupy London protesters from setting up camp in London's Docklands.^[39]

On 18 November, protesters took over a disused office complex owned by the bank UBS, located in the London borough of Hackney. The site was opened to the public the following day as the Bank of Ideas, and claimed to provide free services including a library, seminars and various discussion related events.^[11][40] On 28 November protesters at the Hackney site said they would contest attempts by lawyers to have them evicted.^[41]

December

In early December, the City of London Police made reference to Occupy London in a letter warning businesses about potential terrorist threats. It stated that: "It is likely that activists aspire to identify other locations to occupy, especially those they identify with capitalism. City of London Police has received a number of hostile reconnaissance reports concerning individuals who would fit the anti-capitalist profile. All are asked to be vigilant regarding suspected reconnaissance, particularly around empty buildings."^[42] By late December, consensus among occupiers at the main camp in St Pauls had seemed to coalesce round a view that is would be better to leave voluntarily as long as they can be allowed to keep a small presence, and negotiations were started to see if agreement could be reached with the Cathedral.^[43] Also, in late December, a fourth site was established in East London at an unused court and police complex. Occupiers announced plans to use the new site to host a symbolic "trial of the 1%"^[12]

2012 events

On 18 January, the High court ruled in favour of the City of London Corporation, giving them the power to order the eviction of occupiers from the St Pauls Camp. A spokesperson for the City said they would not further pursue eviction until 20 January, to give occupiers a chance to appeal against the ruling. The appeal date was later set to 13 February 2012.^[44][45] Comparing the St Pauls camp as it was in January 2012 with its first few weeks, journalists such as Sid Ryan, Brendan O'Neill and Laurie Penny noted a change of character, with energy being diverted from political activism into caring for homeless and mentally ill people attracted by the companionship and shelter. Ryan has argued that despite caring for the homeless being a worthwhile cause, it may help the movement achieve change in the wider world if the camp is evicted.^[46][47][48]

On 30 January, occupiers were evicted from the site where they had set up their Bank of Ideas, by bailiffs acting on behalf of UBS, who own the premises.^[49]

In mid February, Occupy London took over an abandoned school in Islington, which they called the School of Ideas. They were evicted two weeks later, with authorities arranging for the school to be bulldozed on 28 February.^[7] Also on 28 February, occupiers and their tents were removed from the area surrounding St. Paul's Cathedral, by a team of bailiffs supported by riot police.^[50] The St Pauls site had been the last surviving high-profile camp of the worldwide Occupy movement.^[13] At the time of its eviction it was also the largest one remaining.^[51] According to the Financial Times, Occupy activists insisted that their campaigning would continue, with some displaying banners announcing that the protests so far were "just the beginning."^[13][52]

In April, Bloomberg reported that the St Paul's camp cost London authorities just over a million pounds in monitoring and legal fees, while the Finsbury Square camp had so far cost about £10,000.^[53]

In December 2012, the Corporation of the City of London acquiesed to one of the Occupy London demands, releasing information about a previously secret bank account called City's Cash. This fund had existed for hundreds of years and proved to contain more than £1.319bn. With an income of £145m per annum, 29% of this comes from school fees, with a further eight per cent coming from rents and nine per cent coming from grants, reimbursements, and contributions. However, the largest source of revenue was 52 per cent from investments.^[54]

See also

• List of global Occupy movement protest locations
• "Occupy" protests
• Timeline of Occupy Wall Street
• We are the 99%

• 15 October 2011 global protests
• 2011 United Kingdom anti-austerity protests
• 2010 UK student protests
• 2011 United States public employee protests
• 2011 Wisconsin protests

• Arab Spring
• Corruption Perceptions Index
• Deterritorial Support Group
• Economic inequality
• Grassroots movement
• Plutocracy

References

External links

• Occupy London, activist group homepage
• [https://www.theguardian.com/uk/gallery/2011/oct/15/occupy-london-stock-exchange-movement?INTCMP=ILCNETTXT3487 Occupy London gallery in The Guardian]