Westminster City Council in May called for an end to what it called the ‘permanent Glastonbury’ which has been set up on Parliament Square in central London.
The square, which is home to the statues of Nelson Mandela and Winston Churchill, and a popular attraction for Londoners and visitors to the capital, has over the past two weeks been taken over by protesters erecting tents and flags, creating a campsite which has been dubbed ‘Democracy Village’.
As well as the impact on ordinary workers and tourists who are prevented from going about their daily business or enjoying the UNESCO World Heritage site, the police are also diverted from policing local communities and tackling crime.
Parts of the turf on the square have been removed to make way for a vegetable patch and an oak sapling has been planted in the middle of the lawn.
Cllr Colin Barrow, Leader of Westminster City Council, today said: "We can no longer tolerate the hijacking of Parliament Square, one of London’s historic public spaces.
"We all support peaceful and lawful protest, but it is completely unacceptable for parts of our city to be occupied and turned into no-go areas by vociferous minorities, however laudable each cause might be.
"This public square should not become a permanent Glastonbury in the heart of central London, it needs to be a place which is for everyone to enjoy."
Among those taking part in the protest are anti-war demonstrators, climate change activists, and self-styled anarchists who appear to have no plans to leave in the near future.
Parliament Square is owned by the GLA, which is ultimately responsible for taking action.
Westminster Council believes that present legislation is not working and new laws are required to ensure everyone can enjoy the square and to also give other groups the opportunity to legally protest there.
Cllr Barrow said: "New laws are urgently required to enable the police to intervene effectively in cases of prolonged demonstrations, or where there are real public order or nuisance problems.
"We want to see effective legislation, backing the police to do what is appropriate in a civil, democratic and peaceful society. Parliament needs to turn its mind to this and pass the necessary laws as soon as possible."
According to the council, according to planning rules it is an offence to turn a public square into a campsite. In 2005 the Serious Organised Crime and Police Act was introduced, which says that anyone who wants to protest in Parliament Square needs the permission of the police commissioner.
