Occupy camp at St. Paul's allowed to stay

LONDON, Nov. 3 (UPI) -- London officials said Wednesday protest encampment outside St. Paul's Cathedral will be allowed to remain at least until the end of the year.

Representatives of the City of London Corporation and the Occupy the London Stock Exchange group met for 2 hours, The Guardian reported. City officials have said they would like to cut the number of people camped at St. Paul's and to set a date for their departure.

The City of London is the relatively small area occupied by the medieval city and is now Britain's financial center. Protesters originally planned to camp outside the stock exchange but were driven off by police because the area is private property.

St. Paul's, which closed for a week because of the camp and has had three of its clergy resign, including Dean Graeme Knowles, has said it is no longer trying to close down the encampment. London Mayor Boris Johnson, who has been very open about wanting the encampment shut down, said the dispute is between the church and the protesters.

A number of cities in England and Glasgow and Edinburgh in Scotland have Occupy encampments.

In Bristol, about 50 tents have been set up on Cathedral Green. The city and the cathedral have asked protesters to leave before Remembrance Sunday, when a parade honors British veterans.

"We will be here to help mark Remembrance Sunday in a respectful way," a computer engineer named Stefan who has joined the camp told the Guardian.