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Liverpool’s Green party is backing activists occupying Liverpool’s former Bank of England building – and said their demands must be heard.

The Love Activists have been in the Castle Street building for more than two weeks and continue to defy a court order to leave.

Yesterday Merseyside police officers tried to strike a deal not to press charges against the anti-austerity protesters if they left, despite the breach of the possession order and reports of damage being caused to the listed building.

But today Liverpool’s Green party said that the action being taken by the protesters was “entirely appropriate” at a time when people were being “pushed to the brink by the failed austerity policies of the last five years."

In a statement on its website, the party said: “Homelessness still affects thousands of lives because successive governments have failed to address the long term housing crisis facing the country.

“Those at the top are continuing to get richer while harsh cuts disproportionately affect women, children and the most vulnerable in society.

“In these circumstances the type of positive, non-violent direct action been taken by the Love Protesters is entirely appropriate.

“We call on Liverpool City Council and Merseyside Police to show respect for the human rights of the protesters inside the building.”

The party also said that no aggressive policing tactics must be used against the activists, that no action by police should prevent food, water, sanitary or medical supplies reaching them and said their demands must be heard.

Veteran anti-cuts campaigner Tony Mulhearn, TUSC candidate in Liverpool Riverside, also backed the bank activists and attended a rally supporting the occupiers.

He said: "The action by LoveActivists Liverpool deserves the support of everybody who recognises the need for decent homes for all, and for people to be treated with dignity.

"This city council, and councils up and down the country, including those which are Labour-controlled, have done little or nothing to directly remedy the homeless problem.

"Mayor Anderson is more concerned with implementing the cuts supported by his friend Lord Heseltine and building houses for the wealthy rather than for our young people who have no chance of getting a decent home.

"This peaceful occupation against austerity highlights the brutal policy of a ConDem government dedicated to transferring wealth from the working class into the pockets of their already obscenely rich backers. Labour's stance is fundamentally the same.

"Whilst the police may be taking an apparently 'reasonable' approach to the occupation, the threat of force is inherent in the situation. I look forward to the day the police round up the fat cat tax dodgers rather than intimidating a movement dedicated to improving the lot of the homeless and the poor."

The Love Activists alleged on Saturday that police had stopped food and water from being delivered by supporters in an attempt to “starve” them out.

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But the force has already said that its officers had offered water which had been turned down by those inside, with bottles also available to be collected outside the building.

A spokesman added: “The protesters were offered water several times by officers outside the building and they refused to accept the offer.

“They were also made aware that there were bottles of water at the side entrance of the property which they could collect – those bottles of water are still waiting to be collected.

“On the local radio one of the protesters who had left the building also told listeners that the people in the building had enough food and water supplies to last them a month.

“Those inside the building have the option to leave at any time.”

A dispersal order in force outside the bank means that officers have the power to ask people to leave the area outside the bank. Those who refuse face arrest.

The occupation saw the empty building turned into a support centre for Liverpool’s homeless by the campaigners, including a clothes bank, street kitchen and advice centre.

The police said earlier: “Those protesting say there are inadequate services for the homeless and set up a facility initially for homeless people within the building, a number of the homeless people have now left and those that remain have been offered accommodation by the local authority.”