“They had the Arab Spring. This is the UK Autumn…”

Photo: Mark McKay

In the heart of Sheffield’s historic city centre a circle of tents adorned with anti-establishment slogans and declarations that “We are the 99%” face the busy tram stop on Church Street. Some members of the public stop and take note of the banners. Others pull out their camera phones and take photos. A few start up conversations with the eager, friendly and passionate group of campaigners who keep the camp running. However, many just blank Occupy Sheffield completely, a sense of insular apathy on their faces.

I spot one member of the public reading the numerous signs that hang from the largest tent and ask him what he makes of it all. His response is not atypical. “I support what they are trying to achieve and I think it’s a worthy cause.”

He then glances at the slightly haphazard layout of the site before continuing, “but I’m not sure how this is going to achieve anything.”

Occupy Sheffield came into being on Saturday 5th November after 70 anti-cuts protesters marched from City Hall and settled outside Sheffield Cathedral. Mirroring the events of St Paul’s Cathedral in London and the Occupy movements around the world, the protestors set up a small village of tents to voice their frustration with what they see as a corrupt banking and political system that only looks out for the wealthy elites and ignores the needs of the masses.

It has grown steadily since its inception and now includes around 12 tents, a small cooking space, a gazebo reception area and even their own portaloo. Drew Dallen, 57, a charming and erudite protester who works as an artist and a social worker, explains that the number of people involved is growing by the day.

“In terms of numbers the site is growing rapidly with a large number of people coming and going throughout the day,” he says.

He estimates that the group directly involved is around 50 strong but that number is swelling all the time.
Another campaigner is Mary, a 27 year old social worker who wished to keep her surname private. She explains the reason the protestors chose the site outside the cathedral.

“We had three options originally; Devonshire Green, Peace Gardens and here. We chose this site because of the high public footfall, the fact that we are close to several high street banks, some of which are now owned by the taxpayer – and because it is across the road from Cutler’s Hall, a building synonymous with finance and commerce in Sheffield.”

Perhaps most importantly of all is that they are on ground owned by the cathedral and not the council so they cannot be moved on by the police.

Although the camp is illegal they do have open dialogue with the cathedral. Ben Jackson, a 35 year old joiner from Sheffield explains: “While they have not taken an official stance on the protest, they do broadly support the aims of helping those that need help.”

The group is part of a larger movement that is spreading worldwide including sites at St Paul’s Cathedral in London and Wall Street in New York.In the UK alone there are 17 ongoing Occupy movements. Ben believes that over 900 people have been directly involved with the UK camps so far. And although the UK movement doesn’t have a unified declaration, there are overarching themes that run through the protests across the country.

Sheffield’s manifesto states that, “the current system is unsustainable and we need alternatives” and that they “refuse to pay for the banks’ crisis.” Drew explains this further; “What we are seeing is the systematic removal of vital services and the lowering of real income for the majority while the top 1% are getting richer. The rich, the bankers, are protecting themselves and they do not care about regular people.”

He goes on to compare the movement with the uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa that took place earlier this year and saw the removal of several long standing dictators, including Hosni Mubarak in Egypt and Colonel Gaddafi in Libya. “They had the Arab spring. This is the UK autumn.”

And this message seems to be slowly getting across to the politicians. Paul Blomfield, Labour MP for Central Sheffield has said that, “the Occupy movements are raising extremely important points about the way that our economic system isn’t working for the majority of people.

“We need a more responsible economy and the Occupy protests are part of the debate about how we achieve this.” However he does point out that the camp is not without its controversy and that “not everyone will support the methods of the protestors.”

Some people have seen it as counter-productive, antisocial and disrespectful. Occasionally, usually when drunk, a small minority have voiced opposition to the camp in an aggressive manner. One drunken man even tried to pull down the camp before being subdued by the police.Others have directed criticism at the camp in relation to Remembrance Day, saying that it is against what the veterans died for.

However Drew argues that the freedoms that British citizens fought for in the First and Second World Wars are what they are exercising now; the freedom of speech, the freedom to protest, the freedom of assembly.
He believes that the progress that was made in the past is slowly being eroded. “The welfare state that came about after the Second World War, which is there to protect the vulnerable, is being taken away from us through service cuts. We are fighting for that.”

Another difficulty with the camp has been managing some of the homeless people that have come to the camp. This has meant the camp has come into conflict with the Archer Project, a charity that operates from the cathedral and helps feed and rehouse local homeless people.

The Archer Project have asked the camp not to provide them with soup as it is seen as interfering with the aims of their charity. This sentiment was echoed by Paul Blomfield. In a statement he said he hoped the protest won’t affect “the important work of Sheffield Cathedral, particularly their work with the homeless.”

However the camp has become a hub for the homeless and it seems to provide them with a sense of community and work. Several come and go and help out with odd jobs around the camp such as bringing in furniture, setting up tents and moving things around. Drew has a great deal of support.

“They help for next to nothing but it gives everyone a sense of community, a sense of belonging, a sense of working towards something.”

However, it can be trying at times because of problems with alcohol and substance abuse. The camp now operates as a strictly alcohol- free zone to prevent any unwanted incidents. The protesters want to make sure they are not making the news for the wrong reasons.

One thing that isn’t clear is how long the Occupy Sheffield movement is going to be around.
There is no definite timescale for the protest but when quizzed on the length of their stay there is solidarity in their answer: “As long as possible.”

However with the stinging autumn winds lashing at the camp and winter fast approaching there may soon be a time when it becomes unrealistic to continue with their outdoor protest.

Huddled in a circle of chairs, wrapped in layers of winter clothing and with breath visible Ben jokes, “Next time, lets plan this sort of a thing for spring or summer,” to the group. There is a spirited laugh that suggests that they’ve still got plenty of energy left.