Ring of prayer to protect London tent-city -

Ring of prayer to protect London tent-city

Tuesday, November 1st, 2011

Christian groups in England have vowed to protect the Occupy London tent-city in front of St Paul’s Cathedral by surrounding it with a “circle of prayer”.

The plan has been hatched in the event that the Cathedral attempts to evict the protesters.

Christian activists say that in the absence of support from St Paul’s they are duty bound to stand up for peaceful protest.

Tanya Paton, a Christian protester said: “We represent peace, unity and love. A ring of prayer is a wonderful symbol.”

As senior Church officials at St Paul’s apparently keen to get an injunction to disband the protest, director of the religious think-tank Jonathan Bartley, said the cathedral’s handling of the protest had been a “car crash” and predicted more high-profile resignations from the Church of England.

The canon chancellor of St Paul’s, Dr Giles Fraser, and the Rev Fraser Dyer, who works as a chaplain at the cathedral, have already stepped down over the decision to pursue legal action to break up the camp.

Banker’s report suppressed

It was claimed last night that a highly critical report into the moral standards of bankers has been suppressed by St Paul’s amid fears it would inflame tensions over the protest. The report, based on a survey of 500 City workers who were asked if they thought they were worth their salaries and bonuses, was due to be published last Thursday.

But publication of the report, by the St Paul’s Institute, has been delayed in apparent acknowledgement that it would give the impression the cathedral was on the side of protesters.

On Saturday afternoon, more than 20 religious figures gathered on the steps of St Paul’s to support the occupation, which began two weeks ago.

The bishop of London, the Right Rev Richard Chartres, has promised to attend St Paul’s in an attempt to persuade activists to leave. But protesters say they have no intention of packing up, many reiterating their intention to stay at the cathedral until Christmas and beyond.

Sources