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Illegal eviction at Bank of Ideas 2?

anon@indymedia.org (Glenn McMahon) | 30.01.2012 00:55 | London

 

In the early hours of Wednesday morning a team of activists squatted a former Midland Bank on St Alphage High Walk, near the Barbican, in the hope of providing a new space for community events following the closure of the Bank of Ideas.

But in what could be a sign of a change in police tactics in dealing with the occupy movement they were promptly evicted by dozens of local police and the TSG who broke into the building with a chainsaw.

 

Phoenix, an activist who was in the building at the time, accused the police of acting illegally and would seek to press charges after consulting lawyers.

Failed attempts to negotiate with the police were broadcast live via the Occupy movement's livestream channel before police used a petrol powered chainsaw to break the lock.

On Friday activists squatted a former Iraqi bank, off leadenhall Street, in the City of London, before police evicted them claiming the building was immune to British law as it was protected by diplomatic laws and protocol.

The police stated they were acting under instructions from the Foreign Office, however, it later emerged only the Director of Prosecutions could rule on the bank's status, activists said.

The Occupy camp at St Pauls is currently awaiting for the Court of Appeal to decide if eviction by the City of London is lawful

 


anon@indymedia.org (Glenn McMahon)
- Original article on IMC London: http://london.indymedia.org/articles/11564