Occupy London to hold “villains” tour of Canary Wharf
Activists behind the protest at St Paul’s Cathedral are holding a guided tour in Canary Wharf this evening to put the spotlight on the “villains of the financial crisis”.
Occupy London says it will escort groups around the area’s banks and finance firms while guides provide commentary on “tax avoidance, bonuses and financial mismanagement”.
It is part of a ploy to get around the injunction obtained by the Canary Wharf Group last month which prevents any protesters remaining on the site without permission.
Ronan McNern, from Occupy London, said: “Everyone has heard of the Jack the Ripper tour and this is a chance to see some real villains.
“It will visit the places where some of the worst incidents happened in the financial crisis. This is not a protest. It’s about highlighting an issue in a fun but important way.
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“The fact they (the Canary Wharf Group) got a pre-emptive injunction says something. Are they scared of people knowing what they’ve been up to?”
Last week the group held its first event and around 40 people turned up.
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Occupy London says it wants to run more tours and signalled that it is actively seeking premises in Tower Hamlets to have a more permanent presence in the borough.
The Canary Wharf Group confirmed it has been liaising with the Metropolitan Police over tonight’s event.
It obtained the injunction to prevent “disruption by a small group to the 95,000 people working at Canary Wharf”, a spokesman said.
He added: “The injunction is not about stifling debate. Our priority is to ensure that people are free to go about their normal business.”
Occupy London’s tour starts at 6pm and the group will meet outside Canary Wharf tube station.
