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St Paul's camp: Occupy London is 'tourist attraction' | |
(about 6 hours later) | |
Protesters outside St Paul's Cathedral have become a tourist attraction, creating "a booming trade" for some local businesses, organisers have said. | |
The cathedral in London closed its doors on Friday, saying the activists' camp created health and safety issues. | |
But demonstrators "have done so much to ensure that St Paul's can remain open", said Ronan McNern, spokesman for Occupy London Stock Exchange (OLSX). | |
Campaign group UK Uncut has said it will join the activists. | |
It planned a march to Whitehall on Monday afternoon, to demand the resignation of HM Revenue and Customs' chief executive, Dave Hartnett. | |
It claims Revenue and Customs allows some big companies to avoid making certain payments. | It claims Revenue and Customs allows some big companies to avoid making certain payments. |
'Good relations' | |
The OLSX protesters have been camped at the site since 15 October, highlighting what they call corporate greed and inequality. | |
They have refused several requests from church officials to move on. | |
The cathedral said it was losing up to £20,000 a day and held its Sunday services in private for the first time since 1940. | |
The Reverend Rob Marshall said it had been a "difficult week" for St Paul's, but "we continue to have quite good relations with those outside in the tents". | |
"We're still in dialogue with the protesters and asking them to move peacefully," he said. | |
Mr McNern said it was "the cathedral's decision to close, supposedly for health and safety reasons". | |
"But the rest of the restaurants and cafes around the square are doing a booming trade and have no health and safety issues. | |
"It's great to see tourists taking an interest, and hopefully that will help us get the dialogue we want so we can change the current situation," he added. | |
A second camp has now been set up in Finsbury Square by campaigners to ease numbers, but those outside St Paul's have pledged to remain there indefinitely. | |
Sean, an 18-year-old civil servant who declined to give his surname, said he was prepared to protest until Christmas Day and beyond. | Sean, an 18-year-old civil servant who declined to give his surname, said he was prepared to protest until Christmas Day and beyond. |
The teenager, who said he had taken a week off work, said: "We have the food and power to stay on and we are abiding by hygiene standards. | The teenager, who said he had taken a week off work, said: "We have the food and power to stay on and we are abiding by hygiene standards. |
"We are not against the church." | "We are not against the church." |