According to The Independent demonstrators at St. Paul’s in London will pull out on their own terms before the forced evictions begin:
Occupy London protesters are ready to leave St Paul’s early next year in exchange for a scaled-down presence outside the cathedral and a “symbolic tent” within. The end of a saga that polarised the Church of England, and saw the hundreds campaigning against corporate greed championed and vilified in equal measure, began last night when protesters started debating the issue.
While the shape and timing of any withdrawal still needs to be ironed out in a meeting with the cathedral this week, there was “widespread consensus” on the move, a source within the site in the City of London said.
It comes as a High Court challenge to evict the 150 or so camped demonstrators begins today, with protesters believing that an exit on their own terms will cement goodwill for a movement that has resonated with many. The source said: “There is widespread consensus that resources at the camp are stretched, and concerns about the long-term viability of the site. We are looking at restructuring and how best to use our other sites.”
Any compromise would allow the Church to save face after a crisis which saw the cathedral close for the first time since the Blitz and the resignation of the Dean of St Paul’s and its canon chancellor, Giles Fraser. It would allow demonstrators, who have been at the site since 15 October, to claim a moral victory in their fight with the City of London Corporation (CoLC).