A SENIOR PRIEST at St Paul’s Cathedral has resigned over plans to evict protesters camped outside the landmark church as part of the Occupy London movement.
Dr Giles Fraser, the canon chancellor of the cathedral, announced this morning on Twitter that he would stepping down, saying: “It is with great regret and sadness that I have handed in my notice at St Paul’s Cathedral.”
Fraser has backed the protesters after they set up camp in recent days, issuing a statement on Saturday that he was “firmly supportive of the right of people peacefully to protest”. He confirmed to the Guardian this morning that he had resigned after divisions on whether to have the protesters forcibly evicted.
The cathedral, one of London’s top visitor attractions, closed several days ago after advice that the camp was making visitors “unsafe”. However, the Telegraph has reported that it is likely to reopen on Friday after “significant” changes to the camp’s layout.
The Occupy London protests are part of a global movement that started with Occupy Wall Street in New York and has spread around the world, including to Dame Street in Dublin.
The specific targets of the demonstrations vary between countries, but the movement is generally aimed at ending the dominance of political and financial elites. Activists at Occupy Dame Street have demanded an end to Ireland’s bank bailout and the exit of the IMF from our economy.
This video shows the Occupy London protesters in action:
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