Anti-cuts Actions against Vodafone continue...

imc | 01.11.2010 17:46 | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles

Latest: 4th December there is a National Day of Action against Tax Avoiders and advice on doing your own action.

Once again this weekend there were Anti-cuts occupations of Vodafone high street stores. In Bristol activists picketed and shutdown the vodafone in protest against corporate tax evasion and government cuts [2]. Student protesters once again activated a shut-down of a Vodafone store in Birmingham city centre in larger numbers, coinciding with People and Planet's annual gathering. In Glasgow activists announced that they were occupying the premises as a protest to the £6bn in tax that the company avoided when public services are being slashed to ribbons. There was another successful action in Clumber Street, Nottingham including a critique of the slogans used. In Cambridge over 20 people occupied the Vodafone shop in the Grand Arcade, three arrests were made, later released without charge. Other actions took place in London, Newcastle and Brighton. Get involved in your area.

On the last weekend in October a series of sit-in actions and blockades managed to close down at least 21 Vodafone stores across the UK. Bringing a new generation of protest out onto the High Streets in full view of the public, gathering much support, people could see that direct action was effective and we would not sit back and take the cuts. See upcoming actions and meetings this week.

In London around 100 people gathered at Speakers Corner before splitting into groups to target Vodafone stores. It didn't take long with the first store closing with the arrival of the protestors and by half twelve all three stores on Oxford St were shut down [report 2, 3] Up to 5 were closed during the day, including Brixton [report]. It's a similar story in other places where stores were closed ahead of planned direct action and protests or when demonstrators arrived.

In Glasgow people started early with the store in Buchanan St. Other shut downs include two in York, two in Liverpool, Leicester, Manchester, Bristol [2] [3], Birmingham, Hastings, Oxford [2] and two in Brighton where police made several arrests.

See previous coverage: First Action Report Oct 27th | Leeds Oct 28th | Related Cuts News Plus: http://ukuncut.wordpress.com Follow: http://twitter.com/UKuncut | Live Blog and Archive

imc

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

more this weekend too!

03.11.2010 15:59

UPDATE: 3rd Nov: So this Saturday there are Vodafone shut downs planned for Glasgow, Bristol and Nottingham. Don't wait for us, get on it! #UKuncut

see also

http://chris-coltrane.livejournal.com/404731.html

vodaclone

great.

04.11.2010 11:05

Great action!

Can I say this though, it would be nice if the original article had some background on why Vodafone, and what exactly this is about, I know, but do all IM readers know?

Keep up the good stuff everyone.

brian

Glasgow action

04.11.2010 17:45

http://www.indymediascotland.org/node/22136

fleabite

Additions

05.11.2010 09:49

Glasgow RBS occupation:

http://www.indymediascotland.org/node/22138

Glasgow Vodafone:

http://www.indymediascotland.org/node/22136

Herzl

Fonejack.

07.11.2010 21:25

Vodafone Sales line - FREEPHONE 0800 015 80 79

Always be pleasant to phone workers.

Jack dem lines!

Fonejacker

a folk myth

14.11.2010 20:54

this is so stupid! the 6bn figure bounded about is a complete myth! there was NO tax dodge, admittedly they are ropey non customer focussed company but please protest about that rather than some chinese whisper of information.

A Non

urban myth

14.11.2010 20:59

The HMRC state; "We can't comment on the details of the settlement but we can confirm that it was reached by HMRC following a rigorous examination of the facts. It was agreed that Vodafone's liability was £1.25bn and at no point was the liability greater than that.

"There is no question of Vodafone having a tax liability of £6bn. That number is an urban myth."

trutruth

A unique and meaningful response

15.11.2010 20:06

As you are campaigning against 'tax avoiders' I take it that you'll be campaigning against your revolutionary brothers and sisters who are too idle to get (and keep) their own tax-paying job?

After all, you lot are tax avoiding 'scum' as well.

Dave

Crooks tell lies shock

08.12.2010 10:57

@ urban myth & others. So what HMRC say must be true, eh? Crooks can be relied on to tell the truth as long as they're the "officials", not the "provisionals". Is that the basis of you assertion?

Srtoppyoldgit