E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSThe long standing Occupy protest outside London's St Paul's Cathedral has ended with an eviction. ITV's Paul Brand reports.
LONDON -- Police and bailiffs worked through the night and into the early hours of Tuesday morning to evict protesters from the Occupy London encampment beside the city's landmark St Paul's Cathedral.
There were around 20 arrests, according to breakingnews.com editor David Wyllie, who was on the scene and posting updates on Twitter.
But there was no violent resistance as the eviction went on, with officials quickly clearing debris on the ground to prevent them from being used as weapons. Public access was restricted prior to the operation and a number of local roads were closed, Wyllie reported.
Tents were unceremoniously thrown into large trash cans and crushed as the owners looked on, he said. Protesters said vanloads of police arrived at the site to carry out the eviction.
The local authority, the City of London Corporation, confirmed the eviction was under way by bailiffs, backed by police.
The urban camp had been set up as part of an international movement inspired by the U.S. Occupy Wall Street against what the activists say is corporate greed and economic inequality. Protesters had been camped outside the 300-year-old church since October.
The eviction comes months after authorities dismantled Occupy encampments in many U.S. cities
Movement not over
BBC correspondent Jeremy Cooke reported from the scene that the mood was largely peaceful early on.
"This has always been a peaceful process, and it has never looked like (it was) turning into anything other than that," said poet and protester Catherine Brogan, according to The Guardian.
Demonstrators said the end of the camp would not mean the end of the Occupy movement.
Dylan Martinez / Reuters
A bailiff removes a tent from Occupy protesters encampment in front of St Paul's Cathedral in London early Tuesday morning. The eviction started just after midnight, carrying out a court order after protesters lost an appeal.
"It's only tents and materials the injunction applies to so I think some protesters will be back here tomorrow," Gary Sherborne told The Associated Press.
Later, the mood turned tense as police closed in on a group of remaining protesters who had chained themselves to some wooden pallets to make a "last stand," witnesses on The Guardian live stream and Wyllie reported.
Protesters were dragged from the platforms and several key protesters leading the chants were restrained by officers holding onto each limb.
Police removed one activist from a tree overlooking the site.
Roads opened to traffic shortly before 5 a.m. (12 a.m. ET) as local authority workers hosed down the site removing the last traces of the protesters from the area.
Last week a court rejected an Occupy London challenge to an eviction order, ruling that the right to protest did not justify a semi-permanent camp on a public pathway.
"We regret that it has come to this but the High Court Judgment speaks for itself and the Court of Appeal has confirmed that Judgment," said a press release from the City of London Corporation.
"The City of London Corporation is ensuring vulnerable people are being helped and supported to find appropriate accommodation in partnership with Broadway, a charity for the homeless," it said.
Follow us on Twitter: @msnbc_world
More from msnbc.com and NBC News:
- Photoblog: Greece kicks off Lent with 'flour war'
- Report documents Iran's efforts to quell opposition heading up to elections
- Syria OKs new constitution as shelling continues
- Report: Plot to kill Putin foiled
- Culture of illegal payments at Murdoch paper
- Argentina turns away British cruise ships in ongoing Falkland dispute
Breakingnews.com's David Wyllie and The Associated Press contributed to this report. (Breakingnews.com is a sister site to msnbc.com.)
Leave a Comment:
The wife & I were in London a couple of months ago and walked right past the Occupiers' tents piled all around St. Paul's. It was 2 in the afternoon and the only "protester" in sight was this one guy sipping coffee who looked like Shaggy from Scooby-Doo. I never understood the point of "Occupying" St. Paul's anyways as it's just a big famous church. But why junk up this beautiful landmark with a bunch of trashy tents if nobody is even going to protest there??
maybe they think God is part of the 1%; and they want to tax Him to death to
I do not support the Occupy movement. I do not support anyone who wants something for nothing, and people who have no concern for the rights of others. This group has burned our American Flag, sh*t on the ground, on police cars, broken windows out of businesses, squatted in parks and caused damage that has to be repaired. Who do they think is going to pay for those repairs? Dumbazzes, the very people they claim to speak for are paying. They need to go home and get a job. If they cannot find a job in their field, do what I am doing WORK OUTSIDE YOUR FIELD!
Totally... I'm an engineer that is looking for work outside my field too. It's better to keeps the lights on and pay the water bill than to "occupy" some park. Man up you little punks, and go to work. No one promised us a comfortable life. It's more important to have dignity - and that's from inside no matter what you do for a living.
That's all well and good, but if you're out of work like I am(going on 3 years now) you're pooched. Because on every application I have filled out over this span of time, there is a little writer on the application that states that I must show consistent previous employment prior to submitting my application. Out of work for 3 years? You might as well stand outside and wish for pennies from Heaven.
I do agree however that damages should not happen. The problem with the whole using bathroom outside issue is that businesses won't allow anyone who is not a customer to use their facilities. Still a 5 gallon bucket, a plastic bag and a cover would alleviate those concerns. 5 gallon buckets are cheap and effective for personal waste disposal.
"Last week a court rejected an Occupy London challenge to an eviction order, ruling that the right to protest did not justify a semi-permanent camp on a public pathway"
Isn't "semi-permanent" the very definition of TEMPORARY?
Hey Occupy Movement. Move your camps around the area from one week or one day after next and you should be fine. They can't do shiz cause you're not establishing a permanent site. And make sure to DOCUMENT your compliance.
Fight on brothers an sisters fight on.
yes genius; they should just pass a law that you cant even camp out for one night in a public place. end of story
Occupy Wall street is simply about the Haves and Have nots. People see other people enjoying the fruits of their labor........and they get jealous. If you make your money legally....and ethicly......good for you!! Im a person who lives from paycheck to paycheck....always struggling. But I dont begrudge those who have made big money working hard........or those who are smart enough or lucky enough to invest in the right things. Thats what America is all about. It should stay that way too. If you want to live in a more "equal" society.....move to where socialism and communism are practiced......while it lasts. But once you get there.....you will find that no matter where you go......no matter what system of goverment is in place.....there will always be the haves and the have nots!
You miss the point Fatmud, the reason you work from paycheck to paycheck and probably loose everything when you loose your job, is because you are being abused. You work for peanuts, a modern day slave, while the owners of the company, the CEO and higher management live in luxury. You like that state of affair?
jibaro; just idiotic; there have always been rich people; if you dont like being "abused" you can be self-employed. the answer isnt to take down the guy who gave you a job
Wow, you are very smart. I guess you figured the answer lies in attacking and killing of the rich but that's not the point. The point is getting a fair share of the benefits you produce. It would be "idiotic"to try to destroy all the rich people, we need them. But, it would be very "ïdiotic" to allow the ones that are criminally inclined to continue destroying our society.
how do you even address ignorance this deep? what and where is the criminality? what is fair share? define it. what is rich? define that. how are the rich destroying the country?
when you can answer these 5 questions i might, MIGHT take you seriously
It's very hard to open the eyes of the blind. Who got rich because of the recent wars? Who lost? Are the veterans or victims of this war being treated fairly on their return or do they end among the homeless? Is the country as rich today as it was way back in the 70's or is it falling apart?
What is a fair share? Look around you and you might get an inkling of what would be fair.
so you cant answer the questions. why am i not surpprised?
Like I said, it's very hard to make people who do not want to see to open their eyes.
the idiotic implication being that only you know what is truly true; only you see things the way they need to be seen. lol comical but wholly predictable from the left-wingers here
You understand things as you may but I do not belong to any political movement. Fact is political movements in the US are corrupted. The leaders bend over to please their owners, the Daddy Warbuck's out there. The people here are blind and can't see what is staring them in the face. One more war and we might be so broke we wont be able to recover.
Would you like to be the citizen of a third world nation?
Body odor divides the people,
Why dont your smart azz answer the questions ? U R a true idiot. Fat azz. LEFT WINGER !!
I'll answer them.
1. Ignorance this deep- bodividesthepeople !!
2. Criminallity- Whitecollar, everywhere, start at the banks.
3. Fair share- What your work ethic is worth and no less.
4. Rich- $250,000.00 or more a year.
5. Rich destroying the country- Wall street, banks, politicians.
6. YOUR AN IDIOT !!!!!
You're*
Well, that's the way things end when the enemy controls everything, is smart and the opposition lack a coherent organization with well defined ends. Not to mention the fact that it is very stupid to expect a violator not to violate you again if you bend over.
All the powers that be needed to defeat this movement was to wait until people got tired of a bunch of smelly people, wait until the smelly people got tired of being ignored and, wallah, have then removed.
YOU are the enemy. And it's Voila, not wallah. Dope.
You say voila and I say wallah. I do not have to tie myself to your way of speaking. In any case when a person resorts to insults it means they are afraid and do not know what to do, so they strike blindly anyone that is near. I pity people like you but you are very dangerous because you become a barrier to free speech.
I do not fear your like.
Semi permanant is NOT the definition of temporary. Look it up!
To the Tower and off with their heads! Oh, they can't do that anymore... bollocks!
Get used to it, the old white man's club is going the way of the dinosaurs... If I were a member of the ultra conservative GOP/TP /right/ I guess I would be afraid of what's coming too... You can tell by the last ditch effort the Right has been doing for the last 3 years... simple demographics, you guys are gone, you are the minority, and you and your ultra conservative ideals will be voted out by the majority of the rest of us...bye bye...
money isnt white leftard; currently there's a Black man in charge and his Party of the Ass is blowing trillions with no result. who's more greedier than that?
it's just comical; the loser left and their asinine stereotypes; i dont know what is worse the stereotypes themselves or the mindless, blind hypocrisy in the way the left shamelessly makes fools of themselves with them. not all white people are "ultra-conservative"; and not all non-whites are liberal. this is just a false premise the Left uses to enslave people; make up a bogeyman and then play the part of "protector". they never even notice the chains being placed on them
Some adjatives for ya in regard to "Temporary" impermanent, passing, transitory, brief, fleeting, interim, short-lived, fugitive, transient, momentary, ephemeral, evanescent, pro tem, here today and gone tomorrow
Semi Permanative indicates a long term ......not short term as Temporary does.
I do feel sorry for them. But they need to learn that the government is not that bad. The government may not be perfect but they are doing what they can.
if I was a leader i'd be more worried about when the protests start getting deadly and if they don't think the poor are able to stop them will do well to remember two things. One there has been leaders who lost their heads/lives to the porr and two histroy can repeat itself.
Here's an idea for everyone who's fed up with the BIG government, religious power corruption, world bank, illegal taxation and corrupt politicians. File for Sovereignty and you'll be out of this mess of a political system in the U.S. You will no longer be a citizen of the U.S. but who cares....social security and medicare are down the tubes anyways, being a citizen of the U.S. gets you nothing in return anymore. Be governed by yourself and live a life free of the governmental hypocrisies!!!
No one ever said being a citizen of the USA would get you anything - merely that you have inalienable rights endowed by your Creator to achieve whatever you could.
Thinking that we "deserve" something from America is the outcome of 100 years of progressive education to destroy the foundation of America...seems John Dewey has achieved the goal of his Soviet-styled education system. Look it up, its all well documented.
Never mind, just stay asleep America, the work is about done...you loose.
@Skeeter McClusky - You are absolutely correct. But the left is so enlightened, they've negated the Creator. It said the pursuit of happiness, not guaranteed happiness. It's been death by a thousand pecks, until so many are so thoroughly indoctrinated they just don't see it.
I hear what you are saying....but I miss no point. See....I too can work my way up that ladder. Nobody is forcing me to stay at the bottom. Thats my fault. Im not being abused by anybody other than my Democrat goverment who is allowing gas prices to sore.....who is forcing health care on me that I dont want. I want the federal goverment out of my day to day life. They are the only ones with the power to abuse me as you put it. My employer has done me a great service by employing me and offering affordable benefits etc etc etc.... And if I choose to....I can work hard and move up in the company. I too.....can live in luxury as you put it.
That is not true. Going up that ladder is extremely difficult. What's more, everything is so controlled nowadays that it is very difficult for a citizen to start a company without selling their souls to the banks. The rules are all in favor of those who have established businesses. I know because I tried and so far its being very up hill.
The rules are not fair.
lots of things are "extremely difficult". you dont just declare the people who made it are "criminals" and cry about how life is so unfair.
It's hard to follow arguments here when people keep jumping around. I already answered this.
From the sound of your posts I doubt if you are smart enough to to run a company. You would be better off to just go hang out with the ows and whine.
Maybe, but at least I do not give up nor surrender myself to an establishment that abuses people.
OWS is what you end up with then liberals are allowed to be left alone with children.
OWS is what you end up with then liberals are allowed to be left alone with children.
OWS is dead. LOL, remember all the libs saying how big this was gonna get? I am pissing ma pants....LOL.
"The City of London Corporation" is behind this, not the citizens of London. I say dismantle the corporation and let the people of England decide who is in authority. Oh, and while you are at it, dismantle the greedy old queen and her princely little boys.
Goodbye occupy grubs.
its' comical watching the predictable self-destruction of the Occupy movement. they let in all sorts of radicals to increase their size and strength. but then they couldn't organize into groups being led by leaders because of all the criminal acts taking place in the tent cities would have made them liable for the actions taken by their groups
The OWS folks in the streets aren't supposed to have a known platform...otherwise they wouldn't be the 'useful idiots' that their front-men need. Just come up with some ubiquitous entity to hate, like "corporate America," and send them into the streets.
OWS foot soldiers don't even understand that the majority of companies are "corporations," from the neighborhood florist, dentist, restaurants, head shops, clothing stores and so on. Less than that they are too ignorant to understand a greater corporation is using them to further its gains.
Most of these folks think they are furthering so great project for humanity when they are simply helping to change one demon for another...yet this new master isn't so forgiving...do a little study of eastern Europe before the fall of the wall and you'll get an idea of your new master's compassion.
Watch the documentary AGENDA and see that this whole movement has been preplanned and is targeted at destroying the culture of America. Or just stay asleep...your choice.
well stated!!!!
Why have they not Occupied the White House? Is that not the one person who could really help the cause or harm it. Is it not the one person who could enact change. I thought Obama was in favor of this movement? What is he doing to help it along? Or is he part of the same old problems that got us here in the first place. I know that it is easier to blame the past president for everything but where did all the anti-war protests go after Bush left office. almost four years later and the war is still going on. I did not like Bush and only like Obama slightly better. Answer is that NO PARTY should get a pass on this.
All u posters against OWS are either rich, bankers ,wall streeters or politicians. These people are trying to bring to light the corruption that has taken place in the last 2 decades and u idiots don't want to hear no part of it. I hope they keep on, keepin on, and it grows by leaps and bounds. I consider myself as an average American that owns my own home and it is still tough to make ends meet do to all the corruption, whether it be at the pump, taxes out of my pocket to pay for bull s--t bail outs and sending U.S. tax dollars over sea and or supporting the sorry a--es that live in our own miserable country.OUST ALL OF THE PRESENT ELLECTED OFFICIALS and TRY to put in the common man !!! or woman!!! Other than that, SHUT THE HELL UP, and let the protesters, protest.
why dont you go cry in a corner? you leftnuts are so predictable. anybody with the slightest bit of knowledge of the left-wing saw this whole thing coming. you get a Progressive in the White House and immediately you far-left wannabe revolutionaries start overreaching. when you cant get the revolution you have always pined for and your "movement" starts crumbling; you dissolve into the whiny losers you are with pathetic insults against all who wouldnt join you on your crusade
Left, right who gives a s--t, thats all you have to say about society going into the crapper !! You sound like a typical politician, full of s--t!! I'm not left or right. I'm right in the middle of this cest pull just like your dumn azz!!!! Communist azz hole. P.S get a real user name BODY ODER, because your comments stink.
waaaaaaaaaaaaa!!! mommy mommy theres a guy who i cant brainwash!! lol
Not good, fact is the people protesting are not providing or recommending solutions. As far as I can see they are asking the powers that be to be fair and that does not work. Like I said before, that's like expecting a rapist not to rape again if the victim bends over.
What that movement is doing is creating unrest without leadership. That is very dangerous. It's what is happening in the Middle East. If they continue without some kind of political solution someone, not very desirable, might take control, and that would be very dangerous for our country.
Jibaro, You seem to know alot about bending over. Speaking from experience?
Like I said, ignorant people, lacking understanding, resort to insult. It's the way to shut peoples mouths and end free speech.
All the negative comments here are primarily due to the social media and media in general censoring our first amendment rights to freedom of speech, AND FREEDOM TO BE HEARD. Yes, that's right. The Constitution states we have the freedom to be heard at a dedicated and open forum. Now either those who are posting these negative comments against Occupy are either ignorant, as they have not had access to the actual information on the movement, or they are just typical Trolls. The only thing you guys need to be concerned with is living your lives free and don't worry, there are plenty of us that are still willing to sacrifice so that you can continue to be Trolls. I bet more than half of you don't even understand how large this movement is, or even what it really is about. You just think its people sitting on their butts trying to get a free lunch. Its far more than that, and you really should educate yourselves before the US ends up like Greece and being shamed into repeated bail-outs, or even threatened with bankruptcy due to greedy capitalism. Bet you didn't know that either ignorant ones. I advise Aljazeera English for you if you really want to know what is happening around the world. Hell, you can even read the article there about how Canada is refusing to bring in, and overall banning FOX news and well as other news from their country, because they have clearly shown evidence of bias and false news. Canada basically says most news media from America is designed to mislead you and get you hung up on things that really have no effect on the economic situation. So either get smart and be lead like sheep. Up to you, but your ignorants here really shows if you don't support a revolution that is designed to put equality back on the table. Just dumb in my opinion.
I know about the movement. I have one every morning after my cup of coffee.
here we go; classic example #2 of what i explained above. if you dont agree with the agenda of the wannabe revolutionaries than y ou must be some kind of lemming who has been censored or are "ignorant". throw in the usual rants against Fox news and whalla! there you have another crybaby rant from a left-winger too blindly partisan to see his own brainwashed conditioning
the absurdly ignorant implication being that the government of Canada is the be-all an end-all authority on what is "real" news, and what isnt. you're funny!!
so you are advocating government censorship of the media. well it is true there are none so easy to enslave as those who would walk willingly into bondage.
Body oder divides the people,
Sounds like all u do is sit at home, probably under mommy and daddies roof and watch fox news all day, talk about brainwashed. u r pea brain washed. Go text all your faggot friends and tell them how smart u r.
lol what an idiot; it's comical watching you dissemble into a foaming loser!
I agree with you, information on our news is not to be trusted. When we had the freedom to buy and install a dish in our house and pick up news from around the world, directly, I saw this was so but, though I have looked in the Internet, I can't find anything that gives me the idea that the Occupy movement has a definite plan.
I'm not very savvy computer wise, but I saw we need a place to discuss very important political and religious ideas, so I tried opening a page in Wordpres, but no one was interested. Discussion was nil. Now I'm trying Newsvine, maybe I will find some intelligence there. I really hope so.
What the Hell are you occupying ???, no ones going to give you their money. as long as there are minimum wage jobs there will be thousands of people who will work them. no ones going to pay for your house if you lose your job no matter how many kids you have. no corporate big wigs are going to cut their salaries for you. its all about money. If they can make more sending jobs overseas they will. Its never been whats best for America, its whats best for the individuals.................
i guess you never heard of Secton 8 huh? the GOVERNMENT pays people's rent for them; with no obligation to pay it back. where do you think that money comes from? so who is really using you as you bust your butt to pay your mortgage and/or rent and someone else is paying $4/month for rent?
i love the way You talk big "foaming loser" sounds like you have been there. Sorry i hit a sore spot about mommy and daddy, i knew I was right. Now get your azz out of your p.j. and go find a job u loser. Nobody cares about your rederick b.s.OR your a sloppy azz welfare recipient. I know one of the 2 are right !!! I bet you weight 280 fat azz pounds as well. I can read your dumn azz like a book. heres the tiltle of your book " LOSER" by body oder divides the people !!!! LO real f---ing L.
Now the city of London can use the next couple of weeks trying to get the body odor, urine and fecal smell out of there.