Occupy Sheffield ~ We are the 99%

Following the publication, by Occupy Sheffield, of a letter from The Dean to local businesses, both the Dean and Nigel from Occupy Sheffield appeared on Rony Robinson’s show on BBC Radio Sheffield, following is a edited section from this show and after that an article by Nigel (download the mp3).

Firstly, we are pleased to have had the opportunity to talk to the Dean.

This is only the second time Occupy Sheffield has spoken with the Dean, the first being at the ecumenical meeting at the URC. It is unfortunate however that the Dean seemed to have been given a different frame of reference for the radio appearance than we were. This meant that the subjects covered were broader and we were unable to tackle our issues about the letter, as originally intended.

We therefore think it is in the interests of clarity to outline our concerns with the letter itself. Irrespective of what the Dean may have intended the letter brought out a number of points.

Firstly the letter suggests that many of the neighbouring businesses are being inconvenienced by the protest. We are not aware of any such problems.

We were actually informed of this letters existence by some of those local businesses, disturbed that in the first paragraph the Dean states that he is doing all he can to end the protest.

If the Dean has any specific complaints from local businesses we would be more than happy to address them, but he has not let us know of any as yet.

Our second concern with the letter is that it suggests the Dean’s gratitude to the Banks seems to override any concerns over their conduct.

He may have received a positive experience from these institutions but many many people have been poorly served by them.

If we choose to gloss over their role in creating the banking crisis in 2008 we would still have concerns.

Barclays, RBS and HSBC have been identified as being in the top 20 ‘Climate Killer’ banks for investing Billions in the coal sector, the dirtiest of the fossil fuels.

Bob Diamond the CEO of Barclays made £27M selling his bank shares in 2009, just one year after the banking crisis.

He was also amongst the bank chiefs that tried to derail the banking reforms.

HSBC meanwhile have just been ordered to pay a record £40M in fines (10.3M) and compensation (29.3M) for the misselling of investment bonds to 3,000 vulnerable elderly customers (Average age 83) and has set aside £270M to compensate customers missold PPI.

Lloyds TSB has had to set aside £3.2Bn to cover similar claims.

Lloyds TSB are also part of a syndicate that has invested $2BN in Lockheed Martin, manufacturers of cluster bombs, and this is after it was bailed out by the taxpayer.

So yes we have questions about the banks.

We have no axe to grind with the Cutlers Company. From the beginning our hopes for being opposite the Cutlers Hall have been that, as a meeting place for the great and the good of Sheffield business, they might find time to come to Occupy Sheffield to discuss and understand our protest, which is often wrongly portrayed as being anti-capitalist.

So far we’ve seen a boy scouts reunion and the internet company Plusnet who came across to talk but it’s early days.

Finally we are concerned that the last paragraph appears, and I hope we are wrong in this, to be an attempt to generate support for the removal of Occupy Sheffield by any means short of eviction.

WE ARE.

Disappointed that this letter was sent out after such a positive ecumenical meeting, where so many of the city’s religious representatives were so positive, and when we’ve had positive responses from across the spectrum of faiths in the city.

Sad that our interaction with the Cathedral is being portrayed by parts of the media as a battle between Occupy Sheffield and the Cathedral when we are trying our best to avoid this. Together we would be so much more effective in campaigning for change

Encouraged that so many of the cathedrals congregation have expressed their support, as have very many other ordinary people of Sheffield. The petition we presented to the council on Wednesday had collected 600 signatures in just a week.

Nigel Slack.

Occupy Sheffield.