Protesters face eviction after High Court defeat
THE CITY of London last night called on protesters to leave the area around St Paul’s after it won a High Court battle against the group.
Stuart Fraser, the City’s policy chairman, said the “public generally is losing out” from the presence of up to 200 tents outside the Cathedral.
He spoke out after Mr Justice Lindblom backed plans for an eviction of the campsite, which was set up on 15 October. The judge said he had ruled against the activists because of the “public nuisance” caused by the campsite’s obstruction of the highway, and its effect on worshippers and visitors, but went on to highlight the “sincerity and passion” of their views.
An eviction will not take place immediately, however. The City’s transport committee is due to discuss the decision on 31 January, while the protesters said last night they plan to take the case to the Court of Appeal, which could prolong the occupation by several weeks.
A spokesman for St Paul’s said a permanent camp was unsustainable but repeated its offer of a forum to debate the “important issues” raised by Occupy LSX.