Football fans do a 'G20' on RBS
Freedom Newspaper | 28.07.2009 11:41 | Other Press | Social Struggles
Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) received the G20 treatment for a second time as a group of angry Liverpool football supporters' co-ordinated attacks on three branches in the early hours of the morning.
The fans attacked the banks, including RBS main flagship branch in Liverpool city centre, as a protest at the refinancing of a loan taken out by the club's American owners. Supporters have become increasingly frustrated and unhappy with the way Liverpool Football Club is being financed and controlled and have been lobbying RBS to reconsider its financial commitment, effectively forcing the American duo to sell up.
When US billionaire businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over Liverpool in 2007 it was with the promise they wouldn't burden the club with any debt only to renege on the deal by securing a £350m loan with RBS against the club, which is due for refinancing at the end of July. Many ordinary fans feel the businessmen are using the club to further their own financial concerns. RBS is the main banker to the club including all of its operating accounts, cash management, online banking, automated payments, and credit card processing.
Inspired by the direct action approach of anarchists during the G20 in The Square Mile a clandestine group of Liverpool fans attacked the banks, padlocking the doors to the main branch and plastering the building with posters reading: 'Closed. RBS say no to re-financing LFC'.
RBS, dubbed 'the peoples bank' by G20 protestors because of taxpayers money used to bail it out, was forced to take the unprecedented step of issuing a public statement in defence of its actions and re-assure Liverpool fans of their financial intentions. Ironically auditors KPMG, the company used to swindle Visteon workers out of their redundancy, have expressed concerns over the level of debt being incurred after the club posted losses over £42 million last year.
The Spirit of Shankly, a group of Liverpool supporters who advocate public ownership of the club, and the country's first footballer supporters union, have been most vocal against the bank's financial dealings with the club's owners. They deny all knowledge of the attack.
When US billionaire businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks took over Liverpool in 2007 it was with the promise they wouldn't burden the club with any debt only to renege on the deal by securing a £350m loan with RBS against the club, which is due for refinancing at the end of July. Many ordinary fans feel the businessmen are using the club to further their own financial concerns. RBS is the main banker to the club including all of its operating accounts, cash management, online banking, automated payments, and credit card processing.
Inspired by the direct action approach of anarchists during the G20 in The Square Mile a clandestine group of Liverpool fans attacked the banks, padlocking the doors to the main branch and plastering the building with posters reading: 'Closed. RBS say no to re-financing LFC'.
RBS, dubbed 'the peoples bank' by G20 protestors because of taxpayers money used to bail it out, was forced to take the unprecedented step of issuing a public statement in defence of its actions and re-assure Liverpool fans of their financial intentions. Ironically auditors KPMG, the company used to swindle Visteon workers out of their redundancy, have expressed concerns over the level of debt being incurred after the club posted losses over £42 million last year.
The Spirit of Shankly, a group of Liverpool supporters who advocate public ownership of the club, and the country's first footballer supporters union, have been most vocal against the bank's financial dealings with the club's owners. They deny all knowledge of the attack.
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Comments
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nice one
28.07.2009 12:21
Cardiff city fan
Response from Spirit of Shankly to RBS's statement
28.07.2009 12:59
SOS reply: "You may consider this to be the case but the work we have done shows this to be little more than posturing by you. The taxpayer owns the majority of your bank and there is no way that elected politicians will allow the bank to make some decisions that will affect them and their future electoral prospects".
The socialism i believe in is everyone working for each other, everyone having the share of the rewards. It's the way i see football, the way i see life - Bill Shankly
Frankly Mr Shankly
Homepage:
http://www.spiritofshankly.com/news/RBS-_-Spirit-of-Shankly-Response.html
G20?
29.07.2009 11:55
Anarchists need to stop thinking they have the first and last word on protest tactics - those on the real frontlines of working class struggle against corporate interests are more than capabale of forming their own methods of protest that give so called Anarchists a run for their money. (Just look at the same fan's attacks on Nike stores in 2005 - walking the walk that so called radicals just talk.)
LUHG
To LUHG
30.07.2009 13:36
1. that the anarchists who attacked rbs aren't working class
2. that the liverpool fans who attacked rbs are
The article may be taking a few liberties in terms of what inspired the liverpool fans to attack the bank, at best i think the article is supposed to be light and humourous drawing on the similarities of both activities.
Some anarchist do walk the walk, comrade, others just moan on the indymedia.
Tommy Do
Anti-Glazer protests inspired by Malcolm X - Shocker!
30.07.2009 13:47
flass cetish
De do doh don't de doh?
30.07.2009 15:24
Y. Hughes