'Occupy' Banking Protests Set To Spread To London


First Posted: 12/10/11 06:56 BST Updated: 12/10/11 07:07 BST   PA

Protests against the global financial system which have seen huge demonstrations in New York's Wall Street will spread to the City of London this weekend.

A number of campaign organisations, including direct action group UK Uncut, say they will support an occupation of the heart of the capital's financial centre on Saturday as part of a "global movement for real democracy" to highlight social and economic injustice.

The Occupy London Stock Exchange collective said a Facebook page on the protest had attracted more than 9,000 followers, with more than 3,500 confirmed attendees.

Laura Taylor, a supporter of the so-called OccupyLSX, said: "Why are we paying for a crisis the banks caused? More than a million people have lost their jobs and tens of thousands of homes have been repossessed, while small businesses are struggling to survive.

"Yet bankers continue to make billions in profit and pay themselves enormous bonuses, even after we bailed them out with £850 billion."

Another supporter, Kai Wargalla, added: "This is a people-powered movement protesting against the increasing social and economic injustice in the UK. We want to stand with the 99% - the overwhelming majority who value people over profit.

"We want to make our voices heard against greed, corruption and for a democratic, just society. We stand in solidarity with Occupy Wall Street, protesters in Spain, Greece and the Middle East who started this movement. They have inspired people all over the world to step forward and make their voices heard."

UK Uncut supporter Peter Hodgson said: "The success of the square occupations across Spain in calling for democracy and an end to austerity, alongside the rapid growth of the Wall Street occupation, has shown that this is what is needed in London and the UK. The government is ignoring its electorate as they impose these austerity measures."

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Protests against the global financial system which have seen huge demonstrations in New York's Wall Street will spread to the City of London this weekend. A number of campaign organisations, includ...
Protests against the global financial system which have seen huge demonstrations in New York's Wall Street will spread to the City of London this weekend. A number of campaign organisations, includ...
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
momoluvsu
We live in a parallel universe
02:13 PM on 10/14/2011
Love this thread, it is so civilized. All the threads about OWS on Huff.Post US are getting bombarded from the right with insults and gleeful thoughts of protestors getting beaten by the police by some of them. Reading these thoughts is a breath of fresh air.
06:57 PM on 10/14/2011
Additionally, OWS sites themselves are being invaded with right wing moles trying to stir up trouble in classic style. Hilariously, one idiot working undercover for a right wing paper tried to incite a riot, but none of the legitimate OWS joined him, so he was the only one that got peppersprayed by the police. His paper was so embarrassed they fired him I think. We've spread to over 190 cities here in the States and growing. The right is getting hysterical because polls are showing consistently that the American people overwhelmingly support the demonstrations.
10:43 AM on 10/14/2011
Even London gets into this trouble. Does the economy go to that bad? But I've seen people in most UK cities also ride horse, attend to gym club etc.They visit WelcomeGet regularly. Life is so peaceful and brightful as it was.
02:03 AM on 10/13/2011
For a handy guide to the new phenomenon known as Quantum Economics: http://marcusmoore.wordpress.com/2011/09/23/faster-than-light/
gibraltar
Put in D to go forward to go backwards put it in R
11:54 PM on 10/12/2011
This Occupy thing has the look of becoming a worldwide movement. We can only hope. Over here they tried very hard to ignore it but once the cops got brutal it just blossomed. The big money is sweating you can smell the fear. They don't know how to control something that actually comes from the grass roots and is democratic. They thought their Tea Party that they financed and scripted was going to have the 99% fighting amongst ourselves while they finished their treason.
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oneyippie
Leaning far to your left
08:17 PM on 10/12/2011
London, the world's financial investment hub needs this kind of focus because they were right in the middle of the economic meltdown. Let the banks fail! They are albatrosses weighing down the world's economy. We don't need them. Those who lose money, had money to lose, so don't waste your sympathy on them.
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07:41 PM on 10/12/2011
It gladdens my heart to see the movement spread across to Wall Street's twin City of London.

Once a world post Wall Street/City of London is reality, nation states can finally rebuild its industries on its ashes and CLAWBACK the bailouts to reinforce a safety net in the meantime.

Slaying this dual headed beast is of utmost importance to civilization if civilization is to survive.
03:50 PM on 10/12/2011
I can sympathize with the US protestors who have a valid campaign against the bought and paid for politics in the US. But blaming the banks for the woes is too simplistic. The UK doesn't have the same extreme politics seen in the states.

Certainly there's no excuse for bankers rewarding themselves for failure and the argument that they have special skills and should be paid loads is obviously wrong, you could easily replace them with graduates at a 10th of the price. But it's not true that "bankers caused the recession". The banks are just intermediaries in a painful adjustment which has to happen as we hit the resource limits of a finite world.
04:23 PM on 10/12/2011
sorry John, but you need to be a little more cynical and look who has bought and paid for your politicians in the UK, it tells when they have left office more so, john major, US oil, they are all guilty on both sides, and the register of interests just fails us, insurance company's are now lobbying tory MP's to scrap the NHS so they can make billions in healthcare, its the way it works and we are not immune.
10:56 AM on 10/13/2011
To rationally dissent, it is most helpful to communicate in intelligible language.
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MarxEngelsLeninTrotsky
Einstein: Socialism is the way forward.
04:29 PM on 10/12/2011
The City of London is one of if no the most corrupt financial centres in the world. More money passes through The City than it does through Wall Street. Politicians we can vote out but bankers we have no say even over the banks that are state owned! Time for a change.
10:50 AM on 10/13/2011
"one of if no"? Will you be please literate in English? And time for a change to what? Communism which which oppressed people very harshly, too, and had its own forced labor concentration camps, inspired by Marxism? Remember the bread lines in the USSR? Russia finally is free, Marxist. Sure, plutonomies or the "controlling" economic elite can shift economic scales. But roll your sleeves up and work, and you will make money. It may not be pleasant work, but you can do it if you want. Banks are not setting wages or prices. Why do you blame banks? They store money for workers and companies, and make loans, as their primary duties.
02:51 PM on 10/12/2011
There needs to be an international financial transaction tax so that big banks can help pay for the mess they created.
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Roy Fowler
I try....I really do!
01:30 PM on 10/12/2011
We are just about to give the bankers another £75 Billion of our money in the "hope" they will inject it into the economy and into small businesses. They didnt do with the last £250 Billion, so i am not sure what they will do with this next handout? So of course people are angry, frustrated and dispairing of the world we once thought stable and secure.

As an aside, I do like the Billy Bragg idea he espoused on last weeks Question Time. Give £4000 to every UK adult insted of giving it to the banks. Imagine how fast this would be used in local businesses, local economies, local banks and for getting the economy going, every penny straight put to use. I cant think of a better use of OUR money! :-)
HUFFPOST SUPER USER
John michael Adams
11:36 AM on 10/12/2011
What is the use? As if shouting and camping will do anything! It will not create any job!
another liberal move with no real economic value.
11:59 AM on 10/12/2011
Trying to say protests are of no use?

Are you worried?

Do you have memories of the Poll Tax marches?
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HUFFPOST SUPER USER
Matthew Harrold
Huzzah!
08:23 AM on 10/13/2011
The fact that he used the word 'liberal' makes me think he doesn't even live in this country, let alone remember the Poll Tax riots.
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11:27 AM on 10/12/2011
I want to go, BUT don't understand why they are starting it on Saturday, when the city is shut, no bankers will be there... no shops or anything is open.. Wouldn't it be better to occupy on Monday??
12:16 PM on 10/12/2011
Because it gives more people time to come down and get set up and organised before Monday starts. The idea is to be there for the long haul, not just one day.
12:17 PM on 10/12/2011
i am going to Liverpool, but you may have noticed there's a media black out on wall street, they are really worried, it may start on Saturday, but the twits have got to try and get to work on Monday, lets hope it grows, how anyone on here can endorse the greed is beyond me, wait till there pension is worthless.
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Merseysidefella
I read the news today oh, boy
11:24 AM on 10/12/2011
Labor was too bank-friendly.
What is needed is a new political party, something like:
the ANTI-FINANCIAL SPECULATION PARTY
world-wide !!! the new Greens
Cheers
10:21 AM on 10/12/2011
good!
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09:38 AM on 10/12/2011
This is indeed great news, I will be escaping from jail today just in time to reach my fellow protestors by the weekend! Hurrah and support my escape at jailpoet (twitter)