LONDON, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- Two priests at St. Paul's Cathedral in London have resigned, saying they believe the church should support the protesters camped outside, not evict them.
The Rev. Fraser Dyer, a part-time chaplain at the cathedral and a curate at a church in East London, quit Friday, saying he was disappointed in the course taken by the cathedral chapter, The Daily Telegraph reported. St. Paul's has begun legal steps to evict the Occupy the London Stock Exchange encampment outside.
The cathedral chancellor, the Rev. Giles Fraser, resigned Thursday. A canon and member of the chapter, the Rev. Mark Oakley, told the newspaper he voted against eviction.
St. Paul's, one of London's major tourist attractions, reopened Friday after closing for a week for the first time since World War II. The dean, the Rt. Rev. Graeme Knowles, who described the camp as a safety hazard, said when he announced the reopening that protesters had agreed to steps like creating an evacuation lane.
Some of the congregation at evensong Friday said they wanted to support both St. Paul's and the protest group by attending.
"I would like to see the tents and the church stay together," Kit Langton, an arts consultant, told The New York Times. "This is what the church should be preaching, anyway, and nobody is doing any harm here. I am happy to be able to see both things."
