Eviction looms for Parliament Square war protesters

[TriWooOx]

Quote:The protesters have been occupying the central London square to register their objection against the Afghanistan war and several other issues.

A High Court judge has granted Mayor of London Boris Johnson's request for an eviction order, citing vandalism.

Protesters were given the deadline to allow time for appeals and some have vowed to resist eviction.

Tents and flags have transformed the green into what demonstrators call Democracy Village.

Mr Johnson said the camp had caused "considerable damage".

A spokeswoman for Mr Johnson said: "The mayor respects the right to demonstrate - however, the scale and impact of the protest has prevented its peaceful use by other Londoners.

"Parliament Square is a top tourist attraction visited by thousands of people and is broadcast around the world each day.

"We would urge the protesters to respect the court's ruling and now leave the site peacefully."

'Non-violent action'

Quentin Cross, one of the protesters from Democracy Village who now faces eviction, said on Tuesday he was planning on staying put.

"I will not be moving now or after Friday voluntarily, and I would say the majority of people here hold that view," he said.

"I don't believe in violent resistance by any means but if you are protesting about government policy then you have a right to be here."

Some protesters have promised a wave of further protest, dubbing the campaign 'Operation Rolling Thunder'.

A post on the Democracy Village blog called it a "mass callout to activist groups to engage in imaginative non-violent action".

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, a High Court Judge said veteran anti-war campaigner Brian Haw, who has lived in Parliament Square since 2001, had been camping lawfully.

But he said an injunction was necessary as the mayor had not agreed to the occupation.

Mr Justice Griffith Williams said: "As the terms of the injunction make it clear that he can continue to use a tent or similar structure provided he has the permission of the mayor, I would expect the mayor not to enforce the injunction against him until his application for permission has been considered."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/10483678.stm