Occupy London

So I decided that I should go check out St. Paul's Cathedral and see what all the fuss was about in the news about the Occupy London movement.  Now I don't know much about how this "movement" is doing in the states, but it seems to be shaping up much differently than I would have expected in London.

The Cathedral was just reopened this week following a short closure for what was billed as health and safety reasons.  During this period it was apparent that the City of London Corporation (the municipal governing body) was going to start eviction proceeding with the backing of the courts, but since have halted.  There have been 3 very surprising resignations since the start of protest, many due to the handling between how the City is going about its business in relation to the encampment.  The one thing that is very clear, the Church of England nor St. Paul's Cathedral sanction the protest.


Something else that needs to be said is the location of St. Paul's, it is in the heart of the financial district/stock exchange.  The first thing I noticed after getting off the underground was all the new shiny glass buildings, and in the center of them was a commanding cathedral.  Remember it was rebuilt after WWII so it doesn't look as old as many of the other cathedrals scattered around London.  This doesn't take away the odd feeling of standing amongst business suits on their iphones while looking at one of the most iconic cathedrals in the world.

To get to the tube station you must walk past the encampment.  Even with the proximity the two hardly notice one another.  There are also gates closing down sections of "private" walkways.  It makes you chuckle as all of the suits have to now walk the entirety of the encampment.

 

 When you come around the first corner from the SE on the main road you see the back of St. Paul's.  Nothing looks out of the ordinary except for the placement of a building. You keep walking along this extremely busy road till you get to the front, and thats when you see all the protesters.

I find it pretty interesting, the set up and the dialogue that has been created in London over this experience.  I didn't stick around too long as my camera started to die and I had more reading to do.  I don't know what will happen and I don't think either side does at this point, so the next few weeks should be interesting.


I tried to keep the politics out of this. I don't know the entire back story nor do I have a defined opinion on this yet, but I think it goes without saying that I have my hopes.  


My next post should be coming soon and will most likely relate to soccer, I will try to stay away from the dividing politics.  I am going to Craven Cottage to watch Clint Dempsey play my beloved Tottenham Hotspur this weekend.  It will be my first EPL match since arriving in London.  I leave for Paris on Thursday the 10th to watch France take on the US Nation Soccer team so I will hopefully have lots of fun adventures to tell you all about in the coming weeks.