#ukuncut actions around the country mark 'Payday'
eatherich | 18.12.2010 12:13 | Public sector cuts | Social Struggles
Earlier today, flashmobbers staged a sleep-in at HSBC Covent Garden, to highlight the homelessness that could be avoided if the bank hadn't evaded an estimated £2Bn in tax. The action was part of a nationwide series of 'PayDay' protests against tax evading businesses, orchestrated under the banner of UKuncut. many protestors reported a positive reaction to the actions from shoppers and passers by.
Sleep-in in HSBC Covent Garden
Snowy protest in tunbridge wells
Vodafone Brixton receives a call
This Vodafone store is not available - Oxford Street
We apologise for the interrupted service - Manchester Arndale
BHS in Brighton appears to have joined the campaign
Westmorland Centre security staff ripped a jacket in Kendal
Arrest of superglue santa in Brighton
Monaco tax dodgers grand prix - shut down all Oxford's main tax dodgers today...
In Truro Cornwall, a group of over 20 moved around tax-dodging stores, effectively closing Burton's, TopShop and Vodaphone, BHS and Evans where staff advised customers to step on or kick protestors on the way out. Police tried convincing people they needed their details because they were comitting civil trespass!
Around 30 protestors shut down Dorothy Perkins and Burtons in Tunbridge Wells before moving on to occupy TopShop.[Photos]
There was chaos in the TopShop Oxford Street shop where the sports bloc descended, playing egg and spoon races and blowing whistles while police attempted to drag them out, and a book bloc which linked tax evasion with library cuts. [Protestor's account]. 100 protestors later linked arms in BHS to prevent security from evicting them. In the afternoon, HSBC Oxford Street was the setting for a sit-down protest, along with Marks and Spencer whose CEO is a vocal supporter of the ConDems cuts. By mid afternoon the demo had moved to Tottenham Court Road, where protestors reported finding shops shut pre-emptively by the time the demo reached them.
Vodafone has been visited in many places including Manchester [video], Wrexham, Birmingham, Brixton, Durham, Cambridge and Glasgow, and closed in Oxford Street. The Newcastle store was already closed when protestors arrived.
This morning, Bristolians set off towards the stores, with one of them identifying the targets as 'Vodafone, Topshop, The Tax Dodging Capitalist World'. They managed to close a number of stores and promise even bigger demos in the new year.
In Edinburgh, police blocked all the entrances to TopShop after a flashmob of 30 people appeared in the store.
Local groups in Sheffield staged a play written by a local playright outside Boots.
In Kendal, Cumbria, anticuts protestors were violently ejected from the Westmoreland Shopping Centre by brutish thugs with a dislike for leaflets
In Brighton protestors met up at the clock-tower before moving off to BHS where a banner was unfurled from a canopy above the doors. Later the protest moved on to Dorothy Perkins, where Santa faced arrest after supergluing himself to the store. Police were later struggling to get the banner droppers off the roof of Churchill Square.
Oxford uncutters staged a 'Monaco tax dodgers grand prix' which saw the closure of BHS, TopShop, Boots, Barclays, Vodafone and Lloyds as they raced around the town.
eatherich
Additions
liveblogs
18.12.2010 12:30
Indykid:

Visionontv:

volbod
Comments
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You need a lot more than 20 to 30 people!
18.12.2010 12:28
Anarchist
You really need to explain what you mean by "evade"
18.12.2010 14:45
When I see the word "evade taxes" or "avoid taxes" I take that to mean some perfectly legal method of not paying more taxes than obligated to. Now on the tax forms that I fill out each year there IS a place where you can make a "voluntary contribution" to the government (pay an amount over and above your tax due) and perhaps SOME people do that. But I bet damned few.
Sorry, but I avoid paying any taxes that I am not required to pay and I bet you do also. By not taking advantage of this or that deduction I could owe more tax but I "evade" and/or "avoid" doing that by taking advantage of every deduction, etc. to which I am entitled. And again, I bet you do too.
So exactly what is the complaint here? That those who have more money aren't VOLUNTARILY paying more tax than they need to? Because they are rich and could afford it?
MDN
^^^Agent Provocateur.
18.12.2010 15:05
Anarchist too
Fantastic!
18.12.2010 15:28
What are the details about Barclays and Lloyds? I have accounts with each, wondering if I should switch to a non-tax dodger!
David Lucas
e-mail:
Dave.John.Lucas@gmail.com
Homepage:
http://Davejohnlucas@wordpress.com
Agent Provoc!
18.12.2010 16:15
Anarchist as well
London coverage:
18.12.2010 16:41
HSBC Occupied in #ukuncut action
shut 'em down
Hard Man mentality
18.12.2010 18:02
Some people here really do have a Hard Man Of Trumpton mentality, stop trying to manipulate people and impress the chicks and get with the majority. I met the protestors today and I was really impressed that they weren't the "usual suspects" - they were clean-cut, normal people just like me who have had enough.
People do not need "experts" like you to tell them how to protest. Now go back to your squat and prepare for irrelevance along with those other pastoes of the SWP. The people have spoken and you didn't get to shout them down for once. You don't represent anyone but yourselves.
anon
pics from newcastle
18.12.2010 19:36
john
e-mail:
taycom99@btinternet.com
Glasgow
19.12.2010 01:33
Rab Maglinshie
Tax dodgers shut down again
19.12.2010 02:57
Severe weather warnings, trains not running, the airports closed, roads closed, the weather dominated the news programmes. Not a good day to shut down Vodafone, Topshop and other tax dodgers, or so I thought. Only the day before over 50 actions had been flagged up.
But I was pleased to say I was proved wrong. They came, they occupied. Across the country stores and banks were occupied and closed down.
Keith
Homepage:
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/tax-dodgers-shut-down-again/
20-30 more than enough
19.12.2010 03:00
Keith
Homepage:
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/tax-dodgers-shut-down-again/
Protesters shut down tax dodgers (pics)
19.12.2010 04:04
Keith
Homepage:
http://keithpp.wordpress.com/2010/12/19/tax-dodgers-shut-down-again/
excellent stuff
19.12.2010 19:35
Keep up the good work!
anon
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