“In those days there was no king in Israel: every man did that which was right in his own eyes.” – (Jdg 21:25) The School of Ideas returns to dust, and our tents to ashes or landfill, but the seeds of resistance have been planted in the hearts of the […]
Occupy began in the wake of the financial crash, bank bailouts and austerity measures, as a movement opposed to economic injustice. Since then, many other issues have been incorporated into Occupy’s aims and rhetoric. This edition we ask: should Occupy remain focussed on financial questions, or should we broaden the […]
I joined Occupy to oppose the unjust economic system which caused the financial crisis of 2008, and the wider neoliberal consensus which allowed it to manifest. I arrived at St Paul’s on the 15th of October ready to make personal sacrifices, to stand up to oppressive policing if necessary, camp […]
Picking up a copy of Rupert Murdoch’s jingoistic tabloid newspaper recently, you could be forgiven for running to a mirror to check that you aren’t, in fact, Bill Murray’s character in Groundhog Day. Since The Sun drafted its infamous “45 Minutes From Doom” headline to scare the UK population into […]
Both the occupation of squares and the squatting of buildings are seen as strategies for re-claiming public space. Recently, some occupations (Sydney, Oakland, London) have turned to squatting in order to utilise empty space as community centres or housing options, in particular after facing eviction from parks or squares. This […]
“Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil” – Exodus Back in 1961, as the mild-looking, pen-pushing architect of the Holocaust Adolf Eichmann was on trial for genocide, Stanley Milgram began investigating the question of obedience. What he revealed is unsettling, but contains an element of hope for the […]
After four and a half months of peaceful, prolonged protest, the authorities finally called time on the St Paul’s occupation in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Riot police and bailiffs, enforcing the will of the 1%, were confronted by peaceful defiance from occupiers who were joined in solidarity outside […]
FOR/ KIT MARSTERS It is becoming increasingly clear that mainstream politicians do not always have the public’s best interest at heart. Over the last few years dodgy practices have been exposed, and few would deny the influence of big business on the political process. The comment sections of online publications, […]
It’s early February. There’s snowfall on the tarpaulins of the St. Paul’s camp, and chill winds force down the temperatures in the City. An unusual sight – normally, white powder in central London only marks the bankers’ bonus season. We are days away from a Court of Appeal hearing on […]
The Occupy London camp outside Saint Paul’s Cathedral is unique. No other protest in hundreds of cities across the world was so passionately engaged with the church. That gave the church a chance to learn from the movement. In an essay called “The Judgement of the World” Archbishop Rowan Williams […]