From here:

Scores of anti-corporate demonstrators invaded London’s historic St. Paul’s Cathedral on 16 October, but police who tried to stop them were told to leave by church officials, Religion News Service reports.

[…]

The Rev. Giles Fraser, the cathedral’s canon chancellor who took steps to ease tensions, told reporters that “I am very much in favor of people’s rights to protest peacefully,” and said he asked the police to leave the building “because I didn’t feel it needed that sort of protection.”

[…]

A statement issued by Occupy London Stock Exchange (Occupy LSX) quoted Andy Robert, one of the protesters, saying: “We’ve now been welcomed by St Paul’s … We are here to talk about the role of the financial sector, government and corporate greed have in ruining the lives of ordinary people and how we can bring about change.”

However, the occupiers may already have outstayed their welcome. It seems that their presence is threatening the profitability of the cathedral. I’m sure that the £22,600 raked in every day is all used to promote social justice and has has nothing whatsoever to do with corporate greed.

But the cathedral has now said the increase in numbers at the site meant it was forced to “review the extent to which it can remain open for the many thousands coming this week as worshippers, visitors and in school parties”.

The statement asked: “Is it now time for the protest camp to leave?

“The consequences of a decision to close St Paul’s cannot be taken lightly.”

Last year the cathedral said it generated £8.25m from commercial activities, or an average of £22,600 a day.

This total included entrance fees from 820,000 paying visitors.