A Tale of Two Camps

The City of London Police force has revealed that permission was given by St Paul’s to forcibly remove Occupy protesters from the cathedral steps during the eviction earlier this year. The news from Police Commissioner Adrian Leppard contradicts claims made by the cathedral, where authorities have maintained that police were not permitted to remove those who made their way to the steps when the protest camp faced eviction.

In a letter to London Assembly member Jenny Jones, Leppard confirmed that when permission was granted to clear the steps – during an eviction order that applied to land belonging to the City of London Corporation – protesters on the steps were treated as trespassers.

St Paul’s canon pastor Michael Colclough, whose earlier claims contradict this new information, has refused to meet with five people who were removed from the cathedral steps during the eviction.

The latest details of the eviction emerged ahead of a court hearing regarding the continuing occupation of the camp at nearby Finsbury Square, where Islington Council served occupiers with an eviction notice last month. A council spokesperson raised concerns as to whether the character of the protest at the Finsbury Square camp had changed since it was established last October. The spokesperson noted the concerns of residents and businesses in the area, citing various complaints.