Occupy London lawyer, Michael Paget (L), and representatives George Barda (2nd L) and Tammy Samede (C) from the occupy St Paul's camp speak to members of the media outside the High Court in London February 22, 2012.
They’ve endured rain, snow and a troubling scarcity of toilets. But now, Occupy London protesters outside St. Paul’s Cathedral may finally have to pack up their tents.
The 100-tent encampment, the longest-lasting of the global Occupy movement, lost its latest legal bid to stay put today. Protesters now face eviction within a matter of days.
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Inspired by New York’s Occupy Wall Street movement, the protesters set up camp on October 15th. They have fought a legal battle against the City of London Corporation, which argued the semi-permanent community was hurting local businesses and causing hygiene problems. Last month, a High Court judge ruled in the City’s favor. Today, three senior judges blocked Occupy London from appealing that decision. Camp leaders have promised to take their case to the European Court of Human Rights.
Some members of the group, however, seemed to take the ruling in their stride. “The occupy movement is much bigger than one campsite,” one protester told the BBC.
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