Nearly two months after it began, Occupy Brighton has bowed out following a gale that blew most of the camp down. Cold and rain had whittled down the camp to a handful of the most hardcore, and when the gale blew in there just weren't enough hands on deck to hold down the tents, and so the occupiers made the decision to call it a day.

As well as being an experiment in direct democracy and decision making by consensus, Occupy Brighton had become a favourite hangout for Brighton's homeless community, who appreciated having somewhere to hang out somewhere where they weren't going to get moved on. The combination of high minded idealism and special brew was never an easy mix, and, post gale, many of the original organisers felt that the camp had lived out its natural lifespan. This didn't go down well with some the Occupy residents, who responded by er, trying to burn the site down. Luckily SchNEWS' trusty marquee, which has seen every war since the First World War and every protest camp since Newbury (honest!) escaped with only a minor singeing.

See @occupy_brighton