Occupy London 'take over' Old Street Magistrates Court

Occupy London protesters have taken over a disused magistrates' court in the city centre, the group has said.

Following from the occupation of an old UBS building on Sun Street, Hackney, protesters have "liberated" Old Street Magistrates' Court- Occupy London's fourth site. The court was decommissioned in 1996.

This comes as the City of London Corporation are fighting in High Court for the closure of the group's base site at St Paul's Cathedral.

The group, protesting against financial corporations, say that they will hold 'trials' in the magistrates' court- symbolically renamed "Occupy Justice".

"We are turning the Old Street Magistrates' Court into a place where the 1% are going to be put on trial," said protester Ronan McNern.

"They are going to be put on trial for how they have caused the financial crisis as well as the variety of issues that that covers," he added. "What you are going to see is a set of 12 trials upcoming, looking at all of these individual issues. We are going to be inviting people who allegedly caused the crisis to give them the chance to defend themselves."  

Ongoing legal proceedings mean that Occupy London's St Paul's Cathedral site may be disbanded before the new year, following the group's decision to ignore a eviction notice served on 16 November. Lawyers representing the City of London Corporation at the High Court said on Monday that the camp was a "magnet for crime".