Bankers on trial as old courthouse occupied

Inside the court house pic: Koos Couvee

Members of Occupy London have occupied an abandoned courthouse in Hackney to conduct “trials of the one per cent”.

A small group of occupiers, including members of the Occupy Veterans, entered the building in the early hours of this morning. They were disturbed by a security guard in the empty police station adjacent to the court, but managed to secure the building with a section 6 legal warning.

Police arrived at the occupation around 2pm this afternoon and, according to the protestors, were very sympathetic. Occupiers also said surrounding offices have sent messages of support.

The location, on Old Street, Hackney, is a grade II listed building that has been empty since 1996. Protestors are planning to use empty courtrooms to put politicians and the banking sector on trial.

The Occupied Times of London will be running live stream coverage of the trials, according to Tigger, a 24-year-old protestor who told EastLondonLines he had been at St Pauls since October.

The ground floor houses thirteen cells, some of which have the names of Fred Goodwin, Boris Johnson, Tony Blair, and banking giant Goldman Sachs written on the doors.

Occupier Leon, 27, told EastLondonLines: “We hope to complete three public trials before Christmas. Nick Clegg and David Cameron will be tried for not fulfilling campaign pledges and other offences. I hope Boris Johnson gets put on trial as well.”

A statement on the movement’s web site said: “The new residents, who include members of Occupy Veterans – a group of former and active-duty servicemen and women drawn from the 99 per cent – have pledged to maintain a residence at the courthouse, to take good care of the building and to provide daytime use of the facilities for Occupy London to put the one per cent on trial. The residents have already spoken with the various stakeholders of the building and are looking to develop an open dialogue.”

EastLondonLines were also told Occupy are in the process of creating a board game dedicated to “direct action and taking over the world.”

A four-day High Court hearing over the eviction of the camp outside St Paul’s Cathedral began yesterday.

Cells on the ground floor pic: Koos Couvee

 

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