In 2008, through sheer greed, the bankers drove the global financial system to the brink of collapse. They had gambled away trillions. On 13th October, 2008, the UK government was forced to step in and take control of Royal Bank of Scotland. UK taxpayers now own 83% of the Bank.

Despite the fact that we effectively own RBS and despite the government forcing painful ‘austerity’ cuts upon us, the bankers’ greed continues. RBS bankers paid themselves almost £1billion in bonuses this year! The bankers have got off scot-free and still pay themselves billions while the poorest among us pay the greatest price for a crisis caused by their greed. By promising banking reforms by 2019, the government has kicked the issue into the long grass.

On 13th October this year, we need to send a message to RBS, to all the banks, and to our government that we haven’t forgotten what has happened and who is to blame, and that we won’t take it any more.

The 13th October will be a ‘Big Rip Off’ day. We will go to our local RBS branches,* request to see the manager, and tell him that his/her bank has taken everything from us apart from the shirts on our backs, so they might as well have that too. We will rip off our shirts, write the name of a social service suffering cutbacks on the back, e.g. ‘libraries’ or ‘youth services’, and hand it to the bank manager. Let’s target RBS headquarters in Edinburgh and London.

The Big Rip Off day will be an action of creative, non-violent resistance. If we are angry at injustice, we must act! ‘We are many, they are few’!

To join in the action on Big Rip Off Day, sign up at  http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=283723268310415