UK PM wants protesters out of St Paul’s

BRITISH Prime Minister David Cameron has called for anti-capitalist protesters to leave London’s historic St Paul’s Cathedral, saying the freedom to rally should exclude important sites.

“I’m very concerned about the continuation of this protest meaning that St Paul’s is not open to the public,” Cameron told reporters in Perth on the sidelines of a Commonwealth leaders’ summit.

“It’s a key national site, it’s a key tourist site. It’s very important in the whole history, psyche of our country… I think the pressure is on to try and deal with this and deal with this rapidly.”

Cameron said he supported people’s right to demonstrate.

“But I don’t quite see why the freedom to demonstrate has to include the freedom to pitch a tent anywhere you want in London,” he said.

“I’ve got a feeling that if you or I decided to pitch a tent in the middle of Oxford St, we’d be moved on pretty quickly.”

St Paul’s closed last week for the first time since World War II after about 200 protesters inspired by the Occupy Wall Street movement set up camp there, with the church saying they posed a health risk.

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