Occupy London fights on

From daily News Line in London, England:

Monday, 23 January 2012

St Paul’s occupiers determined to fight on – despite eviction attempts

ANTI-CAPITALIST St Paul’s occupiers were defiant and determined to stay despite attempts to evict them through the courts.

Ev Emanon from Anonymous UK camped at St Paul’s told News Line: ‘Our appeal is next Friday at the Royal Courts of Justice, that is when we find out whether our appeal has been a success.

‘We are here on the front line; you cannot evict an idea. The international movement is going to pick up speed and gain momentum from the spring. This is just the beginning!’

Fellow occupier Dom said: ‘’They cannot get rid of us. The courts ruled that they can get rid of the structures, but they cannot get rid of us. Whatever happens next Friday we are not going anywhere.

‘We are prepared to sleep at the top of the stairs at St Paul’s if it comes to it. We are in solidarity with the struggle at Chase Farm Hospital and we are in support of the picket at Chase Farm and of your plans to occupy the hospital to stop the closure.’

Arthur, a young Polish worker occupying the St Paul’s site said: ‘We must fight for a better life, for our families, for our future!

‘No matter what they decide in the courts, we are going to stay. I will stay that is for sure.

‘I am really interested in coming down to Enfield and joining in the daily pickets of Chase Farm hospital. It must stay open.

‘They have no right closing any hospital. We must keep the NHS intact and develop it.’

Javier Freiria and Adolfo Castro from Casdiz in Spain said: ‘We support the occupy movement in Spain, “the Indignados” which means “the angry”.

‘We are part of the movement called “Valcarcel Recuperado”. We occupied the building for six months, but the police took us out of the building.

‘We have come down here to support Occupy London. The banks are the germ of the problem. The state does not support the people, the state supports the banks.

‘This problem continues; it has not been resolved. Now in Spain there is a big movement to occupy buildings, all the old buildings are occupied.

‘There is a lot of jobless youth in Spain. Capitalism is the trash of the world.’

Occupier Alphonso Lister said: ‘It is truly wonderful the international solidarity of the occupy movement.

‘Every day we get visitors who have come from occupy movements from countries in every part of the world. It was a special surprise to welcome our friends from Spain and hear their stories.

‘That is why we will not budge an inch here at Occupy London. We will not be intimidated by their courts, their judges and their system. This is the very system we are here opposing so why should we respect their judgements.

‘Their judgements are based on their interests and they are the interests of making money of private property, of the Corporation of London, of the church and state, they are a billion miles away from the people and we are very close to what everyone is feeling. The 99% have risen up and want a life!’

‘Is it too much to ask for the basic things in life? Why can we not have a home or electricity, water, a job, an education and such. This system stinks, it reeks of something rotten to the core!’

There was then a extremely powerful piece of drama entitled ‘Don’t Stop me Occupying 2012’ performed by The London Drama School students on the steps of St Paul’s. To the music of Queen ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’ the students performed the piece showing the people rising up against the system.

Natasha Langridge, who directed the play, said: ‘We have produced an anti-capitalist, pro-occupy piece of physical theatre.

‘We have fourteen international students aged 18-25 who are participating in the production.

‘This system does not benefit the majority of the people and it does not work.

‘It is about time we acknowledge that, and use our knowledge and experience to create something better which is what occupy is trying to do and we support them 100%.’

The London Drama School student Peri Linklater-Johnson who was in the performance said: ‘We have created this together under the direction of Natasha Langridge. We support occupy, it is giving everyone a chance to say what they want to say.

‘There is no elitism in occupy. There is the top rungs of the ladder and everyone else gets meshed in together. The people with the most money have the most power.’

Fellow student and performer Agui Bouba added: ‘The tuition fees are making university elitist, they are favouring the rich and they are heading towards an American-style system.

‘This is a big mistake, education is the key to making a really powerful society. I believe university must be free like it is in Belgium.’

Andrew, who also performed in the anti-capitalist physical theatre piece said: ‘We should certainly defend the NHS. They want 49% of the NHS farmed out to the private sector.

‘This means that there is the temptation to make money and it is an infringement on the NHS. Once you have something that is free like the NHS that is a great thing.

‘They are trying to exert elitist control over it and I do not know why that is necessary.

‘In World War I they sent all the young people off to die.

‘They are always targeting youth. The children are the future.’

Police clear out Occupy London protesters: here. And here.

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