The protesters marked the occasion by taking over Roman House in the Barbican in the early hours of Saturday morning, but left soon afterwards when those working as building contractors on the empty building we threatened with the sack.
The group offered a statement about the occupation on their website occupylsx.org “Occupy London was contacted by individual workers employed by Berkeley Homes who were concerned for their job security as it transpired they were recently employed to help renovate the building.
“In light of these discussions, yesterday evening it was decided to leave the building. We trust that Berkeley Homes will ensure that their redevelopment of the site will make adequate provision for affordable housing.”
Berkley Homes, who own the Barbican-based site said “It is not safe for public use, there are holes in the floors and we are in the early stages of asbestos removal”
Recent developments in the Occupy saga have seen the protesters being ordered to leave the site following last week’s High Court battle with the Corporation of London.
The original intent of the protesters was to occupy London Stock Exchange’s Paternoster Square, but when prevented from doing the occupation was moved to the nearby St Paul’s Cathedral surrounds, bringing the debate to another level by dragging some of the UK’s top religious figures into the capitalism conversation.
The London based Occupy movement, which sprung shortly after demonstrations in New York, is now the longest-running in the world after Occupy Wall Street protesters were removed in a brutal crackdown by US police.
