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St Paul’s says it has closed for safety reasons, but protesters insist they cannot be moved on without court order Anti-global finance protesters were refusing to quit their camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral on Friday night, despite requests from church officials who complain they have been forced to shut the building for the first time since the second world war. The Occupy the London Stock Exchange protesters, who moved on to an area at the front of the cathedral a week ago, will continue their encampment in defiance of the dean of St Paul’s, the Rt Rev Graeme Knowles, who asked them to “let the cathedral get its life back”. The movement said cathedral officials were more concerned about visitor numbers than the safety reasons they claimed lay behind the shutdown. The refusal has led to a standoff between the cathedral and the protesters, who say they cannot be moved on without a court order. Knowles said the decision to close the cathedral was unprecedented in recent times, but there was no choice and it had been done with a “heavy heart”. Services have been cancelled until further notice and staff have been sent home. In a statement Knowles said he had asked protesters to “recognise the huge issues facing us at this time and asking them to leave the vicinity of the building so that the cathedral can reopen as soon as possible”. He stressed that he and other officials had formed good relations with the protesters. “We are delighted that the London protests have been peaceful, and indeed there has been a good atmosphere generally between cathedral staff and those dwelling in the tents around St Paul’s. “There is something profound about protest being made and heard in front of this most holy place – a gathering together of those concerned about poverty and inequality facing the great dome of this cathedral church.” However, he said, it was obvious the size of the camp had “increasingly put us in a difficult position”. Knowles met members of the chapter that governs St Paul’s on Thursday evening, leading to the closure. “The health, safety and fire officers have pointed out that access to and from the cathedral is seriously limited. With so many stoves and fires and lots of different types of fuel around, there is a clear fire hazard. Then there is the public health aspect, which speaks for itself. The dangers relate not just to cathedral staff and visitors but are a potential hazard to those encamped themselves.” Therefore, he said, the cathedral would stay closed “until such a time that we can open safely”. He added: “We have done this with a very heavy heart, but it is simply not possible to fulfil our day to day obligations to worshippers, visitors and pilgrims in current circumstances.” Although he initially played down the financial impact of the protest, he later conceded there would have to be “long term planning”. “We have a commitment to the paid staff, we must pay them as best we can.” And, while he did not directly address the issue of eviction, explained that ownership of the grounds around the cathedral was “so complicated” he would have to go through “lawyers and the Corporation of London” to remove the protesters. Knowles was forced to deny that Giles Fraser, the canon chancellor of St Paul’s, who initially said he supported the protesters’ right to remain, had acted inappropriately or unilaterally. Occupy LSX cast doubt on the cathedral’s concerns and said it had spoken to the fire brigade and believed there were no fire safety issues. “As to the cathedral’s commercial concerns, access to the restaurant has never been blocked by the encampment. The closure of the restaurant, by the cathedral, has mystified us, especially as it came at the same time as we encouraged our people to use and support the restaurant. We would much prefer to eat there than in some of the nearby chains. We believe the cathedral is also concerned about their visitor numbers. We have endeavoured to ensure that our schedule does not conflict with the cathedral’s, so that their normal operations are not impaired. Clearly, we have become another tourist attraction on the cathedral’s doorstep – but, since we are not a commercial concern, we are struggling to understand how we have had any financial impact on the cathedral’s revenues.” The protest, modelled on similar events in Spain and New York, descended on London’s financial district last Saturday with the intention of setting up a permanent camp in Paternoster Square, the private commercial and retail plaza housing the Stock Exchange headquarters. However, the square’s owners won a court order preventing this, and police blocked access. Several thousand activists, who eventually coalesced into an encampment of around 200 tents, instead based themselves on the western edge of St Paul’s. There, they set up an increasingly entrenched camp , featuring a food marquee, a media tent and a “university”. Relations with the church began well, especially after Fraser’s intervention. However, sSince then, however, cathedral officials have repeatedly raised concerns about the size and scope of the camp, warning that it was impeding access for both worshippers and tourists, especially ahead of next week’s busy half term. This is a particular issue for a cathedral that relies heavily on entrance fees for its income. One protester, Marcus Wright, said he would resist any attempt to remove him from the area. The 22-year-old, wearing a Batman hoodie and a Guy Fawkes mask, has been at St Paul’s since Monday. “It will be non-violent, but I will still be protesting as they drag me away,” he said. “The only way we’ll move is by force. We won’t be violent. It is our right to protest.” Occupy London Occupy movement London Protest Religion Riazat Butt Peter Walker guardian.co.uk