London protesters face legal bid of eviction as Cathedral reopens - Xinhua

LONDON, Oct. 28 (Xinhua) -- The City of London Corporation (CLC) confirmed Friday that it would take legal action to evict anti-capitalist protesters from their campsite in the churchyard at St Paul's Cathedral, as the cathedral reopened its doors to the public for the first time in a week.

The Dean and Chapter, the cathedral authorities, had closed the church last Friday, fearing that the health and safety of visitors, staff, and worshippers was endangered by the 200-tent encampment of anti-capitalists that had sprung up at the foot of its western steps in the previous week.

After rearrangements in the camp site to allow emergency services free access to the cathedral, the Dean and Chapter decided to reopen the building, but have been criticized for attempting to use the closure to force protesters to leave.

Protesters, imitating the Occupy Wall Street movement in the United States, had wanted to occupy neighboring Paternoster Square, home to the London Stock Exchange and Goldman Sachs merchant bank, on Oct. 15 as part of a global protest at the bankers' crisis, but had been thwarted by a strong police presence.

Instead they occupied the churchyard at St Paul's, on land owned by the church and by the CLC.

The CLC confirmed Friday that it would take legal action to evict the protesters, on the grounds that they are blocking public roads and paths.

Michael Welbank, deputy chairman of the CLC committee in charge of the eviction, defended the legal move, "Protest is an essential right in a democracy -- but camping on the highway is not, and we believe we will have a strong highways case because an encampment on a busy thoroughfare clearly impacts the rights of others."

Stuart Fraser, the chairman of the CLC's policy and resources committee, said, "We have no problem with a peaceable 24-hour protest by people without tents -- provided the highway is fully usable -- but campsites and important highways don't mix."

Earlier, the cathedral had opened its doors to the public for the first time in a week, and hundreds attended a lunchtime service, including protesters.

British prime minister David Cameron, speaking in Australia where he is attending the Commonwealth leaders' summit, criticized protesters for continuing their camp, throwing his weight behind calls from the cathedral authorities and London mayor Boris Johnson for them to move on.

Cathedral authorities and the Bishop of London are set to hold a public debate on the steps of the cathedral on Sunday with demonstrators about issues raised by the protest.