I recognise and I understand them but I have to disagree with the Occupy London Stock Exchange movement who are currently camping outside St. Paul’s Cathedral. The group are looking for answers regarding the financial crisis in 2008, which has subsequently led to the difficulties now crippling the nation through spending cuts.
Image by Stephen Downes via Flickr
As I said, I get it. The UK is suffering with massive unemployment issues (reaching a 17 year high of 2.57m) and financial burdens, and it is only natural to be annoyed or angry and want some answers. However, this group of individuals appear to believe it is acceptable behaviour to potentially force St. Paul’s Cathedral to close due to the disruption on site.
The cathedral brings in, on average, £22,600 a day – so, while the Occupy London Stock Exchange movement complain about the financial state of the country maybe they should consider the damage to the cathedral’s financials?
St. Paul’s Cathedral is one of the top 10 tourist destinations in London. With the bad publicity following the riots, that last thing London needs is a top attraction closing because of more protests. The whole world is in financial dire straits but acts like this, I’m sorry, will not be making a difference.
Anti-capitalist protest groups have adopted the Guy Fawkes masks made famous from the film V for Vendetta, as Fawkes is arguably one of the ultimate anti-political icons. Seeing as he tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament, this status seems fair enough. However, buying these masks may not have been the most well thought out of plans, as Rosie Waites from the BBC points out. The mask was designed for and made famous by the for-mentioned film and as such it is a licensed product belonging to the film studio, Warner Bros. So for every mask bought by an anti-capitalist, anti-government protestor, a contribution goes towards Warner Bros., one of America’s largest conglomerates, which raked in around $1.6bn of profits last year. Irony at its best.
So as we enter the seventh day of protests… the activists must surely be able to think of better ways to use their time and help find a way out of the financial calamity we find ourselves in…..or at least start making their own Guy Fawkes masks.
Related articles
- St Paul’s Cathedral appeals for anti-capitalist protesters to leave (telegraph.co.uk)
- St Paul’s facing closure threat (bbc.co.uk)
“I recognise and I understand them”
Do you? Reading through the GA minutes, available here http://occupylsx.org/?cat=22, and it seems like they are working with support and respect from St. Paul’s Cathedral.
As for being an “anti-capitalist protest”, while there are anti-capitalist sentiments among some protesters, those calling the worldwide occupy movement anti-capitalist seem to have missed the point. Anti-bailout and “corporate socialism” perhaps, but fair capitalism sits well with many of the protesters.
I’m afraid I disagree with you. I fail to see how they respect St. Paul’s Cathedral when they have caused it to close for the first time since World War II.
What’s more, the Bishop of London has asked the protesters to leave. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-15457669
Occupy London threatens cathedral closure, a loss of £22,600 a day for tourism | Speed Communications Blog – just great!