She said: “We have worked hard to find a solution to this problem without prohibiting the rights for free speech and protests.
“However, for some time what is a public open space has been dominated by tents and encampments which have restricted its use. The High Court also took this view after a full and fair hearing. It concluded the protesters did not have the right to inhabit a public square designed for everyone to use.
“Throughout this process we have sought to find a solution by talking to the protesters involved. People will always be allowed to protest in Parliament Square – what is not reasonable is setting up permanent camps there.”