A network of individuals, independent and alternative media activists and organisations, offering grassroots, non-corporate, non-commercial coverage of important social and political issues.

Fight the cuts! - SHUT DOWN £4.8bn TAX DODGING VODAFONE ROUND 2 THIS SATURDAY!!

UKuncut | 28.10.2010 10:38

On wednesday 65 people closed a large vodafone store on Oxford Street, London. In a wave of publicity surrounding the action, people all around the country and talking about visiting their local vodafone store in disgust at being allowed to not pay £4.8bn in tax, while vital public services are being smashed. Here is the call out. In london we will meet in our hundreds to shut as many stores as possible. If you live outside of London, why not make this a nation-wide day of action against the cuts!

London: 11:00, Speakers Corner, Hyde Park

THIS SATURDAY WE WILL MEET IN OUR HUNDREDS TO SHUT AS MANY VODAFONE STORES AS POSSIBLE IN CENTRAL LONDON. IF YOU LIVE OUTSIDE LONDON, WHY NOT MAKE THIS A NATION WIDE ACTION!
……………………………………………………………………………………………
On Wednesday 27/10/2010, 65 members of the general public managed to mobilise in just a few days on the vague message of civil disobedience against the lie that the only way to reduce the public deficit is to smash social services and welfare. The target was Vodafone, as they had recently been let off paying £4.8 bn in taxes to the public purse by HMRC. This is money that could have been spent on social housing, keeping public sector workers in their jobs, pensions, social care, and welfare for the poorest. Indeed the debt to the public purse by corporate tax avoidance is estimate at over £12bn every year – something which George Osborne did not even mention in his savage CSR speech.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
The action went well, it was fun and empowering. It received huge publicity and hundreds of shoppers on oxford street agreed with our action. It was the most talked about thing in London over twitter and received praise and acknowledgement from many highly regarded people such as Naomi Klein. People across the internet have been discussing shutting their local Vodafone store as a result, and this Saturday is the time to do it.

What’s more, at some point during Wednesday’s action, after the store had been occupied for a while, two middle aged men in suits and ties appeared and stood by the police line, staring at us. They were Vodafone executives who had come to see their flagship Oxford street store closed for business. They looked spooked.

Here’s some news that will perhaps give them more cause for concern. This Saturday, the busiest shopping day of the week, we’re going to shut loads more. We need to continue this pressure on them and all other corporate tax dodgers and expose the lie of that savage cuts on public services that support the poorest and most vunerable in our society is the only way to fix the mess created by the recklessness of the banking industry.
…………………………………………………………………………………………….
If you’re in London, meet at Speaker’s Corner at 11:00 prompt. Speaker’s Corner is surniminous for speeches, rallys and marches, but this time we will meet for a day long action against the cuts! We cannot make the same mistake of the anti-war movement and think that marching on Whitehall and listening to Tony Benn speak time after time is going to make the government change their plans.

We will gather, meet each other, see the growing movement, and divide into groups. Each group is given a store to which they visit and then close for the day by blocking the entrance in the best tradition of non-violent civil disobedience. Be sure to tell all those busy shoppers the news too!
……………………………………………………………………………………………...
This is aimed at being inclusive and open to absolutely anyone who is angry at the cuts! They are not fair, we are not all in this together and we will not pay for their crisis! There are alternatives – start by collecting instead of wiping off corporate tax bills. SHOW THEM WHAT THE BIG SOCIETY REALLY CAN DO!
…………………………………………………………………………………………….

WE ONLY HAVE TWO DAYS TO MOBILISE AS MANY PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE!

INVITE EVERYONE YOU KNOW.

BRING YOUR OWN BANNERS

BE SELF-SUFFICIENT

PRINT MAPS OF STORE LOCATIONS

BRING SOME BRING BIKES MAYBE , YOU NEVER KNOW, WE COULD HAVE A BIKE BOCKADE.

……………………………………………………………………………………………
If you’re not in London, there are Vodafone stores up and down the country, on every high street, just waiting to be closed or picketed. The few resources you’ll need – flyers etc – will be posted here, you just need to provide the bodies. If you want to organise an occupation (or a picket, or some flyering), let us know and we’ll help you publicise it through this blog and twitter. Just post in the comments below or send us an email at

ukuncut@gmail.com.

A successful action doesn’t need tons of planning or expensive kit, it just needs some committed people. Get to work.

See you on the high streets!