'Occupy London Stock Exchange' is unable to gain access the London Stock Exchange and a decision is made to occupy the area in front of St Pauls Cathedral.
The Occupy London Stock Exchange action was barred access to the Stock Exchange and, after a raggle taggle Open Assembly deliberation, the inevitable decision was made to occupy the area around St Pauls Cathedral where the protest had been 'kettled' in and pretty much been unable to move from anyway.
The police then spent most of the action over-containing a peaceful crowd not intent on moving anywhere and enabling the traffic to flow on the surrounding roads. The manner in which the police over react to this and other peaceful public protests is an uncomfortable reminder of how repressive policing has already become in this country, but it is also a more ominous precurser of how nasty policing will get in the next few years as people become more and more affected by the cuts in social provision and working conditions, and the police are necessarily obliged to protect the ruling class' looting spree.
With the complete disregard for the 'rights' to public protest in this country the protest will, in all likelyhood be cleared in the not too distant future., however if the occupation can create a permanent site of discussion and debate then it may well be a great opportunity to move this anti-capitalist movement forward.
Perhaps, as was suggested to me yesterday, setting up multiple smaller (semi)permanent, but regular 'talking/debating occupations' in public areas over London may well be a way forward in bringing ordinary people into the struggle against the suicide capitalists ruling us at present.
Original article on IMC London:
