See also Occupy Wall Street (and Beyond) Feature: Linking Up with the Unions (Wallsten)
UPDATE 1956 GMT: Occupy London has released a letter to the people who run St. Paul's Cathedral, addressing the concerns that the church has been closed and attempting to get clarification on "health and safety concerns" that the church may have about the protest encampment. Read the entire letter here.
UPDATE 1948 GMT: Our EA Correspondent gives his analysis of how established the Findscury protest is:
"FS is looking established. Nearly 50 tents, 2 marquees, and a gazebo. And St. Pauls is now following a daily routine schedule."
He also describes the strange kind of democracy that the two camps have established:
Separate assemblies, at the usual times, meet in both camps.
But there is constant feedback between the two groups. When one Assembly votes on an issue, the other then votes on it as well... until a consensus is reached by the two groups.
Sounds complicated and time consuming, but who would have thought they could get the participatory General Assembly idea working without significant dissension as they have.
UPDATE 1848 GMT: A sign on the outskirts of Finsbury Square:
;)
Our correspondent reports that the discussion at the Finsbury general assembly is mainly focused on how to communicate between the two protests, Finsbury and St. Paul's, and how to connect the two protests, without leaving either one unoccupied.
Earlier, all of the tents were rearranged in order to meet firecodes, a lesson learned at St. Paul's.
UPDATE 1716 GMT: Occupylsx has released an official press release:
Our mission continues. We are delighted to announce that our second site of occupation is now open and ready to receive happy campers. 400 people are already creating a radically open democratic space at Finsbury Square EC1 and you are cordially invited to join them. Bring a tent, warm clothes, provisions , a torch and your optimism. We look forward to seeing you there.
We would like to offer our respect and best wishes to our brother and sister occupations all over the world. There is a bright future out there and we are committed to building our own small part of it in London.
Please note that we shall be occupying Finsbury Square in addition to St Paul’s Churchyard.
UPDATE 1700 GMT: Our EA Correspondent sends this transcript from a speech just given during the Finsbury Square General Assembly:
Provisional Wish list for FS. Spokesman just read it on livestream:
Tables, tents, food, water, toilets, small generator, extension leads, first aid, MORE PEOPLE.
Volunteer requested to be liaison officer with Islington police. Though that has started a debate about whether they should have liaison officer.
Request also for Night Watch volunteers. They are the ones, established at St Pauls yesterday, who try and keep the camp quiet (ish) at night
UPDATE 1655 GMT: From the looks of this picture, Occupy London now has two large and impressive protests, the old one at St. Paul's Cathedral, and the new one in Finsbury Square:
;)
UPDATE 1650 GMT: EA's correspondent notes that a General Assembly is taking place in Finsbury Square to set the rules and guidelines of the second camp. Over 30 tens have already been erected.
Also, the riot vans and police that followed the crowd have left. There are unconfirmed reports that they don't have any jurisdiction over the new location.
UPDATE 1635 GMT: Our correspondent writes, "Second camp hashtag is #occupyfs. There is a small police presence, and those who are there are apparently 'relaxed.'"
UPDATE 1620 GMT: Pictures are starting to come in from the new protest location in Finsbury Square. Here is one showing the tents, and the one below shows a protest sign that has been put up:
;)
Our correspondent notes, "26 tents and counting already at FS. Kitchen already being set up."
UPDATE 1610 GMT: A new live video feed of the protests:
Apparently, the new second location of the protests is Finsbury Square. Also, the official Twitter account of Occupu London Tweets this:
"We need tents, kitchen, etc QUICK at second campsite Finsbury Square!!"
UPDATE 1551 GMT: They had us fooled. The protesters stopped for a photo shoot in front of the Bank of England, but then have moved on.
;)
UPDATE 1550 GMT: Occupy London protesters have reached the Bank of England:
;)
UPDATE 1546 GMT: Before our last update, our correspondent sent us this information:
For those who know London. Teach-in, with a few hundred attendees, is at Duke of Wellington statue outside Bank of England.
A covert way of establishing a second occupy site perhaps (with march starting in half hour)
One speaker just called for presence at St Paul's to be still there on November 12, for Lord Mayor's Parade. It's not a good idea. Remembrance Day is on November 11. Disrupt that and the Occupylsx is finished as a popular movement
UPDATE 1539 GMT: Our correspondent adds this report:
"Tour of Corporate Greed starting. Led by Samba band. Heading toward Bank (of England)"
"The march has left St Paul's, about 500 protesters, followed by 5 or 6 riot vans."
@OccupyLSX shares this picture:
;)
UPDATE 1345 GMT: Our correspondent reports on a series of speeches outside St Paul's from activists, with the biggest cheer greeting the trade unionist who concluded, "We need a revolution." There has also been a "State of the Nation" roundtable discussion.
However, the "People's Assembly", in agreement with St Paul's halted the speeches so as not to disrupt a wedding.
UPDATE 1210 GMT: Occupy London Stock Exchange (#occupylsx) has put out a press release, "Thousands expected at public assembly outside St Paul’s as support for Occupy London Stock Exchange swells."
Implicitly responding to the decision to close St Paul's Cathedral, the release declares, "To mark a successful first week at the heart of London’s financial centre, OccupyLSX is inviting Londoners to visit the occupation on Saturday, to be part of the movement that is challenging social and economic injustices in the UK and around the world."
And explicitly responding, the release quotes a Church of England minister, “I just intended to come to Evensong and found myself attending the first political rally of my entire life, because the cathedral was closed. I read the letter from the dean [about the closure]....I agreed with what the protesters were saying , that we need to work together and that there is huge support within cathedral staff for what you are doing and what the protest is about, and huge support from the Universal Church.”
UPDATE 1130 GMT: Egyptian activist Nawal el Saadawi celebrates her 80th birthday with Occupy London:
UPDATE 1045 GMT, 22 OCTOBER: An EA correspondent reports, "A big moment for Occupy London at 3:30 p.m. They are going on "Magical Mystery Tour" march of the Square Mile [in the City of London].
That will mean large numbers moving off private land and blocking public highways. Could be London's Brooklyn Bridge [in New York City] moment. I'm not seeing the same numbers as last week there, but....
UPDATE 1645 GMT: The Dean of St Paul's issues a statement that, because of health and safety, the Cathedral is "closed until further notice", a step "unprecedented in modern times". He emphasises that the protesters were notified in an open letter.
The decision probably paves the way for police to forcibly remove demonstrators from the site.
(An EA correspondent notes the claim from Occupy London that, according to Health and Safety Manager Rachel Sambal, the City of London’s Health and Safety Team has had no contact with St Paul’s Cathedral regarding health and safety issues at the site. Occupy activists also profile the trustees of the St Paul's Foundation who made the decision.)