in protest against corporate tax evasion and unfair cuts.
[Oxford] At 2pm today 30 people shut down the Vodafone store on Cornmarket
in protest against corporate tax evasion and unfair cuts.
Today is a national day of action against Vodafone [1], who have merrily
avoided over £6 billion in taxes [2]. This campaign is an explosive
expansion on action already taken last Wednesday at Vodafone's flagship
store in London [3].
On Cornmarket today protestors held banners reading.
'Vodafone's Tax Dodge: £6bn
Welfare Cut: £7bn'
And placards with the Vodafone Logo and reading: 'Tax Dodgers'
One of the protestors, Amy Walker explains why she is there:
"I'm disgusted that Vodafone, and other multinational companies, are being
let off billions in tax owed to the British public through legal loopholes
and back room deals, whilst the services that we rely on are being so
savagely cut. It shows our government's priorities lie in pleasing big
business at the expense of the tax payer."
She continued
"After claims from the Chancellor that his huge public spending cuts are
"fair", and that "we're in this together", we are here to put forward an
alternative: start with claiming the £12 billion a year owed to the public
by some of the world's richest companies before raiding the services relied
upon by the most vulnerable in society.
With hundreds participating in similar actions across the country, we are
making a stand against the government's self serving and unjust agenda.
Vodafone ducked out of billions in tax, and the government helped them do
it!"
Notes to Editors
[1] http://ukuncut.wordpress.com/
[2] As from reports from The Guardian:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/oct/22/vodafone-tax-case-leaves-sour-taste
and Private Eye:
http://www.private-eye.co.uk/sections.php?section_link=in_the_back&issue=1273
[3] See Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOnLZeul4Fg
and more information here: http://ukuncut.wordpress.com/