Occupy London: Protesters Appeal After Losing Bid To Keep Campsite At St Paul's

Occupy London: Protesters Appeal After Losing Bid To Keep Campsite At St Paul's

One of the anti-capitalist protesters who lost their bid to stay camped outside St Paul's Cathedral has launched an appeal.

An application for permission to challenge Justice Lindblom's ruling has been lodged with the Court of Appeal on behalf of Tammy Samede.

Granting orders for possession and injunctions against Occupy London on Wednesday, the judge said the proposed action by the City of London Corporation was "entirely lawful and justified", as well as necessary and proportionate.

He refused permission to appeal, but the protesters have until 4pm next Friday to apply directly to the Court of Appeal and the City has agreed not to enforce the orders until then.

It said there was an "overwhelming" case for the court's intervention because of the impact on St Paul's Churchyard of the semi-permanent camp, which has been there since October 15.

After the ruling, Samede vowed that she would continue to "peacefully protest".

"This is not the end," she said. "Onwards and upwards."

Meanwhile the Occupy protesters have begun a series of "mock trials" at an abandoned magistrates court in East London.

However, the protests have not gone entirely smoothly, with the Guardian newspaper describing them as "so farcical that it was hard to keep the faith".

John Cooper QC, acting pro bono for Occupy, said on Wednesday that, despite losing, the case was the "start of a legal analysis as to the extent of public protest in this country".

He also said that his clients had "grave concerns" that St Paul's had passed evidence to the City of London without entering itself as a party in the case.

One of the protesters, Tammy Samede, said that Occupy had won the moral argument "hands down".

St Paul's "have supported the city of London's case even though they have not entered themselves as parties in this case" she said, labelling them "shameful and cowardly".

Close

What's Hot