Bishop backs legal action to end protest

The Bishop of London has backed legal measures that could lead to anti-capitalist demonstrators being evicted from their camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral.

The Right Reverend Dr Richard Chartres told a crowd of hundreds on the steps of the cathedral that “nobody wants to see violence”, including the police.

Later, he said he believed legal measures would be “prudent” and rejected protesters’ claims that violence would be inevitable if an eviction notice was served.

St Paul’s and the City of London Corporation announced on Friday that they would try to gain separate High Court injunctions in order to evict members of the 200-tent Occupy London camp.

The cathedral reopened on Friday after being closed for a week, the first time its doors have been shut since the Second World War.

“I have spoken to the police and there is absolutely no use for a violent confrontation,” said the Bishop. “I do not think we are on the inevitable road to violence. Getting the legal situation clear is probably a sensible precautionary measure.

“We do not know what is going to happen – the camp could be taken over by people who are very different from the ones who are in charge at the moment. I think it is a prudent measure.”

Beforehand, Dr Chartres spoke alongside the Dean of St Paul’s, Reverend Graeme Knowles, to a crowd of demonstrators.

He said Rev Knowles had assured him that a controversially delayed St Paul’s Institute report on business ethics in the City would be published, but he did not know when. The report looks into the issues of bumper bonuses and high salaries.

In an open question and answer session with demonstrators, Rev Knowles was asked whether the Chapter of St Paul’s had been put under pressure by City interests on the cathedral’s board of trustees.

Responding, he said: “No pressure whatsoever has been put on the Chapter in any way whatsoever.”