Protesters plan to occupy London Stock Exchange in London
Baku, October 16 (AZERTAC). After four weeks of focus on Wall Street, the campaign against the global banking industry is coming to the UK this weekend, with the biggest event aiming to "occupy" the London Stock Exchange, Guardian reports.
The protests have been organised on Facebook and Twitter pages that between them have picked up more than 15,000 followers. Campaigners are to gather outside St Paul`s Cathedral at midday on Saturday before marching the short distance to Paternoster Square, home of the Stock Exchange, as well as the London head office of investment bank Goldman Sachs.
It is one of a series of events planned around the UK as part of a global day of action, with 800-plus protests promised so far worldwide.
It remains to be seen how many of the online supporters will turn up in London, with estimates ranging from a few hundred to a couple of thousand. It is also unclear whether the City police, the small force that operates in London`s financial district, will permit activists to mimic the Wall Street protests by pitching tents.
Paternoster Square is a private development, giving police more powers to remove activists. Among its tenants are a number of upmarket shops and restaurants that may take a dim view of a semi-permanent encampment.
The force refused to discuss whether protesters would be moved on, saying only that "appropriate policing preparations are in place". The Stock Exchange and Goldman Sachs declined to comment.
The current protests - which combine anger at the bailout of the financial sector with disquiet at the faltering global economy and increased inequality - have their roots in mass marches earlier this year in Spain. They have attracted global attention with the camp in Manhattan`s Zuccotti Park, which was scheduled to be cleared by authorities on Friday.
The first UK event took place in Manchester this month, timed to coincide with the Conservative party conference in the city. Up to 30 people remain in tents in the city`s Peace Gardens in St Peter`s Square. About a dozen other events are planned for Saturday around the UK, including Birmingham, Leeds, Bristol, Norwich, Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Among events in other countries, 1,300 people have pledged via Facebook to occupy a central plaza in Sydney, with similar events planned for Saturday in Melbourne, Taipei, Seoul and Hong Kong. The global movement has issued a manifesto, endorsed by Naomi Klein and Noam Chomsky, among others, calling for a democratisation of the global finance system and mentioning the Arab spring as an inspiration for mass action.
One protester planning to take part in London said the campaign, which is not allied to any political party, began with a series of Facebook pages in early September. Once people gathered at the Stock Exchange there would be mass votes to decide the next course of action, said Spyro Van Leemnen, 28.
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