Exeposé
The Safer Sex Ball 2011: Acts exclusively revealed inside on page 3
Monday 21 November 2011 • Issue 586 • www.exepose.com • Twitter: @Exepose
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Students occupy Exeter Cathedral Photo: Hannah Walker
Hannah Mawdsley
OCCUPY EXETER protestors have erected tents around Exeter Cathedral following a march through the city centre on Saturday 12 November. A total of 22 tents are now erected on the Cathedral green in an act inspired by the Occupy London protest outside St Paul’s Cathedral. A growing number of students from the University of Exeter have taken an active role in the occupation. Tom Ormiston, a third year History student and media representative for Occupy Exeter, said: “The Occupy Exeter campaign has been established not only in solidarity of occupations across the world, but also as a reminder of what peaceful protest can achieve.”
“The Occupy movement is not expressly anticapitalist; instead we’re looking to create a more equal society” Tom Ormiston, third year History student
He added: “The Occupy movement is distinctive from previous grassroots movements in that it is not expressly anti-capitalist; instead, we’re looking to create a more equal society. We’re also an open occupation: anyone can join us and contribute ideas on how we can achieve financial equality, since we don’t quite know how to achieve this yet.” Dr. Ian Cook, Associate Professor of Geography at Exeter University, delivered a joint lecture on campus in partnership with Occupy Exeter on Friday 18 November. Geography students have been invited to participate in a free university lecture on Friday 25 November at the Cathedral Green.
The Occupy Movement claims that up to 2,000 cities across the world are taking part including: London, New York, Frankfurt, Madrid, Rome, Sydney, Hong Kong, and now Exeter
Andrew Duncan, currently undertaking a PhD in Computer Science, stated: “What we’re trying to do is rediscover democracy from a grassroots level, and that can be for everybody, not just students.” He continued: “We’re getting new people arriving every day, as well as spontaneous acts of support. We’ve had over £400 worth of donations from people just passing by. Ben Bradshaw [Exeter MP] has made a personal visit to show his support.” The group has not yet received any official support from the University of Exeter.
The Cathedral has supported the campaigners’ right to protest. The Dean of the Cathedral, Reverend Carl Turner, said: “Cathedrals have always been gathering places and the Church believes that it is a human right for people to peacefully protest. Some of the concerns of the protestors are shared by many people, inside and outside the Church.” The Bishop, the Right Reverend Michael Langrish, was concerned that protestors were “not going about it in the right way.” He said: “Looking around the Green, where are the financial institutions?”
“Some of the concerns of the protestors are shared by many people inside and outside the Church” Reverend Carl Turner, Dean of Exeter Cathedral
Abdulla AlShamataan, a student at the University of Exeter, spoke on behalf of the Occupy Movement at a recent debate on campus titled ‘This House Believes Capitalism Is Immoral’ in opposition to speakers such as Mark
Wallace, former Campaigns Director for the Taxpayers Alliance. Ed Taylor, a History student, said: “I respect them for actually doing something, and I believe that their aims of raising attention, engaging with the locals, and showing solidarity with other camps are obtainable. I don’t think they fully understand the situation, but very few people do, and even they disagree over the correct course of action.” The Occupy Exeter protest follows the establishment of a similar camp at Jigsaw Gardens in Plymouth this month. The movement claims that up to 2,000 cities across the world are taking part.