Occupy London protestors take over disused Shoreditch courthouse

Occupied: Old Street Magistrates Court. Photograph: Zoe Holloway

The Occupy London movement launched a second Hackney camp this month as protesters took over the Old Street Magistrates Court and Police Station on the morning of Thursday 15 December. This brings the number of total occupied spaces in London to four: St Paul’s Cathedral, Finsbury Square, and the Hackney UBS-owned building dubbed the ‘Bank of Ideas’.

Around 50 Occupy London protesters, including ex-servicemen group Occupy Veterans, drove a small tank – the ‘tank of ideas’ – to the former court where they intend to use empty courts and cells to conduct mock ‘trials’ of bankers and corporations accused of financial green and tax avoidance.

A spokesperson for Occupy London said that qualified solicitors will conduct the trials, and that anyone accused will be invited to the courthouse to defend themselves. A list of people and companies to be tried will be released in the New Year, the movement said.

“These trials will be about economic crime, about companies that have not paid their taxes or people who have made profit out of the recession,” said Occupy spokesperson Spyro.

“We want to give back to the public,” he added, saying that any publicity for the Occupy movement is “a good thing.”

Immediately declaring a statement of intent by hanging a large ‘Occupy Everywhere’ banner from the roof, the protesters swiftly closed the building to the press and public stating: “We’re busy cleaning and making the place beautiful, but will be very happy to welcome you all in soon!”

The group claimed squatters’ rights to the Grade II listed building renamed ‘Occupy Justice’, which has been out of use since being decommissioned in 1996. According to protesters, the occupation was met with little resistance from “sympathetic” police officers and no arrests were made.

The ‘tank of ideas’ – a Daimler Ferret Armoured Scout Car –was donated to the movement by a supporter of Occupy, sources reveal. Protesters say they had been given the chance to use it previously, but there had not been a good opportunity until the December 15 demonstration.

A statement on the movement’s website said: “The new residents, who include members of Occupy Veterans – a group of former and active-duty servicemen and women drawn from the 99 per cent – have pledged to maintain a residence at the courthouse, to take good care of the building and to provide daytime use of the facilities for Occupy London to put the ‘1%’ on trial.

“The residents have already spoken with the various stakeholders of the building and are looking to develop an open dialogue.”

The occupation of the courthouse came just one day after a hearing was launched at the High Court in an attempt to evict protesters from the St Paul’sCathedral camp. A judge told the hearing on 14 December that the camp attracted “vulnerable people” such as drug users.

Occupy said it will fight the eviction effort, adding that reports in the Independent and other newspapers that they were preparing to leave “on their own terms” had not been agreed on by the group as a whole.

“The idea has been discussed by some, but no consensus has been reached,” an Occupy spokesperson said.