On October 15, about 4000-5000 of protesters in London descended on London's financial sector as part of the “United for Global Change” actions that took place in more than 1000 cities and towns worldwide. Occupy London Stock Exchange is occupying an area in front of St Paul's Cathedral and holding people's assemblies to discuss the goals, demands and direction of the movement.
On October 19, Occupy London passed a motion of support for members of the travellor community who had been violently envicted from their homes in Dale Farm in Essex. The motion read: “The Occupy London Stock Exchange general assembly stands in solidarity with the residents of Dale Farm as they are unjustly removed from their own homes.
“We condemn the horrible and disproportionate violence they are receiving from the police and bailiffs.”
On October 16, the Occupy London general assembly passed a statement with nine points, published below. For more information, visit Occupy London. For more accounts of other global Occupy actions, visit Links International Journal of Socialist Renewal.
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At today’s assembly of over 500 people on the steps of St Paul’s, #occupylsx collectively agreed the initial statement below. Please note, like all forms of direct democracy, the statement will always be a work in progress.
1. The current system is unsustainable. It is undemocratic and unjust. We need alternatives; this is where we work towards them.
2. We are of all ethnicities, backgrounds, genders, generations, sexualities dis/abilities and faiths. We stand together with occupations all over the world.
3. We refuse to pay for the banks’ crisis.
4. We do not accept the cuts as either necessary or inevitable. We demand an end to global tax injustice and our democracy representing corporations instead of the people.
5. We want regulators to be genuinely independent of the industries they regulate.
6. We support the strike on November 30 [by unions in defence of public sector workers' pensions and against spending cuts] and the student action on November 9, and actions to defend our health services, welfare, education and employment, and to stop wars and arms dealing.
7. We want structural change towards authentic global equality. The world’s resources must go towards caring for people and the planet, not the military, corporate profits or the rich.
8. We stand in solidarity with the global oppressed and we call for an end to the actions of our government and others in causing this oppression.
9. This is what democracy looks like. Come and join us!