Angered by VAT increases and public sector cuts, protesters are set to shut down high-street stores, which they say are implicated in tax dodging practices, in Edinburgh this Saturday.
Edinburgh’s local UK Uncut group say they will stage sit-ins and pickets at high-street stores to protest against what they see as widespread tax dodging by the wealthiest in our society, while, they say, the rest of us are subjected to severe public sector cuts and regressive VAT increases.
Uncut also explain that:-“The Trade Union PCS, which represents more than 80% of HM Revenue & Customs’ staff, commissioned a report which estimates the total annual amount of avoided and evaded tax to be at least £120bn.”
While the exact plan for the demonstration will be decided on the day, it will probably follow the pattern of similar protests in Edinburgh and around the country in recent months. You can read about the previous Edinburgh protests here.
On the 12th of December the Edinburgh Uncut group targeted Vodafone and TopShop on Princes Street with sit-ins and blockades, shutting each store down for at least an hour each. In Brighton, protesters dressed as Santa Clause super-glued themselves to the windows of TopShop. 18 arrests were made, and the store was closed for the day.
A spokesperson for Edinburgh Uncut said: – “We are taking this action because we are angry that the coalition government is not tackling the £120bn in tax that the wealthiest in our society are avoiding paying. We are going to be hit hard with public service cuts and a VAT increase, while the rich avoid paying what they owe. We stand to lose our schools, healthcare, pensions and jobs, while the wealthiest in our society are selfishly paying themselves million pound bonuses and pensions. This situation is unjust and must be stopped.”
One possible target for Saturdays demonstration will be Topshop and Dorothy Perkins because Tina Green, the wife of the stores’ owner, Sir Philip Green, was paid £1.2 billion in dividends in 2005, equivalent to £3.3 million a day, after she moved to the tax haven of Monaco. Another possible target may be Vodafone, which stands accused of dodging £6bn in tax.
If you are around the city centre and see any of these protests then we would welcome your photos! Send them to our Flickr Photostream. You can do this by clicking on the box in the right hand column which takes you straight there.
Photo from Indymedia.
