canary wharf . pic : The Canary Wharf Group

The Canary Wharf Group have secured a high court injunction as a pre-emptive measure to ensure anti-capitalist protesters would be unable to cause disruption to one of London’s major business district.

The order was passed on Tuesday 1st November, indefinitely preventing protesters from setting up camp anywhere on the site, and anyone failing to comply with the order could face prison or fines.

In a statement  Canary Wharf Group says  “Following recent disruption in the City, we have obtained this injunction to prevent similar disruption by a small group of people to the 95,000 people working at Canary Wharf or to those people choosing to visit the estate.”

Responding to news of the court order, a message on twitter from the protesters centralised voice Occupy London reads
: “Canary Wharf may have the law to protect them from “public protest” but many of us seek to change the law that protects them. #olsx”

GaryDunion adds: “For all the right wing’s whinging about human rights, cases like the Canary Wharf injunction prove that property rights trump all others.”

A statement released Thursday 3rd November on the Occupy London website, states that the group never actually planned a move to Canary wharf: 
“We have found it to be an absurdly over-securitised place, lacking all social amenities, save those of work and consumerism”.

“Like their counterparts on Paternoster Square, the owners of Canary Wharf appear to be deeply afraid of legitimate debate: it is worth asking why this is so.”

By Dervla O’Shea