Europe

As Occupy London Stock Exchange celebrated a week of protest thousands gathered for a public assembly in the heart of London’s financial centre. The General Secretary of Britain’s largest trade union added his support. A second occupation was born in nearby Finsbury Sq. St Paul’s Cathedral closed its doors claiming health and safety issues and asking the camp to leave.

We interviewed Yordos, a young Greek who came in these days to Madrid to participate in the 15O, and to strengthen ties with the Spanish indignant. He sayd to us: “…We don’t have to wait for others to decide for our lives and how those should be. The squares are waiting for us and I am sure that we people, through debate and dialogue, can find the ways to improve our lives.”

What follows is a statement agreed by the Occupy the London Stock Exchange General Assembly based on the discussions carried out by small groups. “At today’s assembly of over 500 people on the steps of St Paul’s, #occupylsx collectively agreed the initial statement below. Please note, like all forms of direct democracy, the statement will always be a work in progress”.

The day started with the heartening news from Japan that Tokyo had just joined the ‘global day of mobilization’ adding its strength and uniqueness to over 1000 cities in 85 countries, working to mediate a fundamental change in the world economic and democratic systems. Around 4 PM, we walked toward Sol with a group of friendsto participate in a Radio show on the “Movement 15M”.

Occupation of the London Stock Exchange or thereabouts, Day 3. Some workers of the City came out to interact with the protesters. Communication always was the aim of the campsite dwellers, to be able to express their frustration at a system of inequality and injustice. They spoke in words, in music, in placards and in peaceful creativity.

Press Release 16/10/11: Canon Chancellor Giles Fraser defends people’s right to protest and addresses the crowd before morning service at St Paul’s cathedral. The Canon calls on the police to leave the occupation at St Paul’s. OccupyLSX reports that 250 people camped overnight, despite initial police use of force, maintaining a calm and engaging occupation.

In Germany about 40000 people went on the streets: very mixed, old, young, mostly middle class, educated. In Berlin it was about 10000, in Frankfurt in the bank metropolis 8000 with the goal to occupy, in Cologne 1500, Duesseldorf 1500, Munich 1000, Hamburg thousands and so on. The organisators in each city were joyfully surprised because they expected a few hundred only.

Between 4000 – 5000 people gather in London’s Square Mile to voice their anger at the social and economic inequality in the UK and beyond, OccupyLSX holds first people’s assembly this afternoon to decide future plans for its occupation, People’s assemblies spring up near St Paul’s despite police refusing to allow protesters onto Paternoster Square [the LSX location]

FRIENDS:

“Our call for change unites us.
We want a new society that gives people priority over economic and political interests.
We want to demonstrate that society has not gone to sleep, and that we will keep fighting for what we deserve by peaceful means.
We want all this, and we want it now.” (Sol, May 2011).

Paris – Youth are hit disproportionately hard by the recession. In the first quarter of 2011, the unemployment rate for young people (aged 15 to 24) was 17.4% in the OECD rich, industrialised countries, compared with 7% for adults (aged 25 and over).