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Swindon Anarchists target tax dodgers

Town End Boy | 19.12.2011 09:05 | Public sector cuts | Workers' Movements

Saturday the 17th of December saw the Swindon Anarchists (with a little help from Bristol) taking to the streets as part of a national day of action against banks and tax dodgers called by UKuncut.

Some of the group outside Topshop
Some of the group outside Topshop

Some of the group inside Topshop!
Some of the group inside Topshop!


The day started with the group targetting Lloyds banks, highlighting the massive taxpayer funded bailouts they have recieved as well as their continued bosses bonus culture.
The group then moved on to Topshop, highlighting the massive tax-dodging antics of owner Philip Green. Green, owner of the Arcadia group (who own most of the shops you will see on an average highstreet) uses his wifes offshore bank account to avoid paying hundreds of millions in tax, depite being one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country.
Hundreds of leaflets were distributed to the public, who were overwhelmingly supportive of the demo and disgusted to learn that the rich are getting richer by cheating the taxpayer while the rest of us suffer in this recession.
At both Lloyds and Topshop, activists entered the buildings, making a bit of noise, leafletting and chatting to customers. In Topshop, a prominent window display was briefly occupied, with anti tax-dodger banners and red and black flags unfurled. All in all another good day out for Swindon Anarchists and hopefully, as part of the national day of action, a pain in the arse for rich, tax dodging scum like Mr Green.
Swindon Anarchists are a growing network of class-struggle anarchists in Swindon and Wiltshire. So far, we have organised and taken part in mostly anti-cuts actions, but our remit includes environmental issues, anti-fascism, workers rights and other progressive issues.

To get involved, drop us an email at  swindonanarchists@riseup.net

We'd also like to give a massive shout out to our comrades in Bristol Anarchist Federation who have always been willing to provide the resources and help we've needed to set up the Swindon Anarchists group. Check out what they get up to at bristolaf.wordpress.com

Town End Boy
- e-mail: swindonanarchists@riseup.net

Comments

Hide the following 12 comments

tax dodgers

19.12.2011 10:59

yes swindon anarchists are tax dodgers!

resin


@resin

19.12.2011 11:45

Really get with the program resin, UK plc and the corporations it protects are responsible for over 600% of debt compared to GDP. go away and do your economic homework, maybe check out the US TARP reports for a quick oversight on our situation.

 http://oversight.house.gov/images/stories/Testimony/12-15-11_TARP_Sanders_Testimony.pdf

The UK's square mile is responsible for all the shadow financial fuckaries going on, all the money for Leymans, MF Global, Goldman Sachs and JP Morgan go through the city, we're at the centre of this global financial ponzi scheme.

Your little swipe at a few people that might or might not be tax dodgers is quite purile and childish compared to the financial shit-storm that's going down.

milton freidman


"Tax dodger" or "tax avoider"?

19.12.2011 14:01

How do you define these terms and which are you saying applies to this case?

If a "tax dodger" you should only need to bring to the attention of the appropiate authority. If a "tax avoider" (LEGALLY not paying more tax than required to by the tax regs) then your gripe should be with those who write the laws. It is more than a little awkward casting stones at somebody (no matter how rich) for not voluntarily paying more tax than required to pay. I don't pay any more tax than I am required to and I bet you don't either. Heck, many of our tax forms both state and federal DO have a box you can check if you want to pay more. Damned few people take advantage of the oportunity.

MDN


@MDN: the rich *are* the people who write the laws

19.12.2011 19:48

Maybe you are less cynical than me, but it can't have escaped your notice that the rich and those who write the tax laws are basically the same group of people. They live in the same places, they go to the same clubs, they went to the same schools, they have the same circles of friends. You are right to say we should go after the people who directly write the laws, but AS WELL AS the people who benefit directly from them.

So it's hardly surprising that rich people have dozens of "loopholes" to avoid paying tax while regular people like you and I get shafted.

anon


wicked mate!!!

20.12.2011 09:20

fantastic report T.E.B. how inspiring to see people taking action and opening up a new front by setting up a brand spanking new anarchist group, full respect to the lot of you, ignore the trolls and naysayers with their fancy logic twistings they fool no one, bring the fight!!!

nick


Sort of (not a complete explanation)

20.12.2011 13:33

If we were holding this conversation 150 years ago (or even 100 years ago) saying "the rich write the laws" would make more sense since there were property qualifications required to vote. But we are writing today when poor men and even women get to cast their ballots. So you need a better explanation. WHY do all too many of "the people" trust this lot in power more than they trust the alternatives we put before them? Perhaps this is a case of "better the devils we know"?

If we are going to make progress changing the world we need to be honest with ourselves, stop making excuses. We have NOT succeeded in making our case convincing to "the people". Thye look at us and say "THAT lot in power"???????

MDN


@MDN

21.12.2011 08:12

You're an American who keeps pretending to be an anarchist, remember? So why do you keep treating Indymedia uk like a bulletin board, and why do you have no understanding whatsoever of how power and authority works?

"Thye look at us and say "THAT lot in power"???????"

So heres 2 recent articles which show how crap your trolling really is:

1) Most people don't go and do their own research. Their world view is formed by the media, which most anarchists would be able to understand is owned by the corporations and ruling class. and which therefore has an investment in keeping things pretty much as they are. So, most people have a pretty distorted idea of the basis of anarchism, which is a rejection of authority and power being held in the hands of the few.

so article 1: NOAM CHOMSKY - TOP 10 MEDIA MANIPULATION STRATEGIES
 http://theinternationalcoalition.blogspot.com/2011/07/noam-chomsky-top-10-media-manipulation_08.html?spref=tw

"Noam Chomsky... has compiled a list of the ten most powerful and effective strategies resorted to by the agendas “hidden” to establish a manipulation of the population through the media."
Its not well written but it does give a general flavour of how we are presented with a "reality" that is constructed in their interest alone.

Article 2: Thank you anarchists
 http://www.thenation.com/article/165240/thank-you-anarchists

Which explains why:
"politics is not a matter of choosing among what we’re offered but of fighting for what we and others actually need, not to mention what we hope for."

Now why don't you start using a local USA IMC and doing something about the shitty repressive state you actually live in?

NDM


anarcho-statism?

21.12.2011 10:08

isn;t a bit of a contradiction for Anarchists to ask people to pay taxes, that is tax to a state? something a bit muddleheaded about this? if you are against the state, then on what grounds are you asking people to pay tax to the state?

anarchists seem a bit confused about the cuts, because all the demands are effectively the same as that of the rest of the reformist old labour left. nothing wrong with that, but what does anarchism really mean politically if it is just calling for the same stuff as old labour? why bother with the anarchist label when it is just old labour dressed up in hipper clothes?

heirarch


copycat leftism

21.12.2011 17:19

hierarch has hit on the nail, how can you call yourself anarchists if your joining actions that are demanding a "nicer capitalism"? By demanding that topshop, vodafone, banks etc. pay their taxes they are avoiding, you are only perpetuating the taxation system itself, as well as saying that these companies are ok as long as they pay their taxes. Too many anarchists in this country have been infected by syndaclism/leftism that has made them a copycat of trot parties. You should be against these forms of protest, against taxation, banks and companies existence, arguing more for people taking control of their own lives separate from the state and capitalism.

feral lumpen


youre wrong

21.12.2011 20:09

Well, I'm all for these companies paying their taxes that they avoid based on the wife having a different nationality. I guess that just means I don't believe in anarchism.

Why don't you stop supporting stupid anarchism ideals and start getting these companies to pay their fair share like everyone else does? If we reduce tax, it should be for all, no one group should get away with not paying if everyone else does.

Clive


hypocrisy of the rich

21.12.2011 21:22

Anarchists may be against the state, and thus tax, but in the here and now we can still point out the hypocrisy and the obscenity of rich people getting away with paying virtually no tax, while ordinary people pay full whack. There is no contradiction there.

anon


Cause they'll definatley pay

22.12.2011 14:22

As an anarchist I have some sympathy with the idea that shoutin at the 'baddies' in business to get em to pay their taxes is a bit of a reformist and futile measure, but at the same time do we actually expect them to pay?

I'd say no, I don't think this is as a public pressure campaign, the way I look at the uncut/ tax dodger movement is like this: we're told by cameron, clegg, obsbourne, the telegraph et al that the cuts are the only choice, unavoidable. What a lot of people don't realise, and what the tax dodgers movement is showing some of them, is that they aren't. And that the reason the economy is fucked is not just because of the big bad bankers and the cuts therefore a necessary evil the Tories are carrying out, but that companies like these get away with a lot of shit that they like to keep nice and quiet and that that hurts us. Its about damaging brands, making it difficult for these businesses to operate, letting people know when they buy from topshop it aint just the sweatshop labourers that are loosin out, its them as well. Cause whilst i envision a society without a state handing out welfare and care thats the world we like in at the moment an if i break me leg i dont wanna be sat in a & e for two years cause all the nurses jobs have been cut and starve to death cause there isn't any dole anymore.

If the campaign genuinley expected that a result of constant pressure they were gonna get the taxes paid and the cuts reversed i'd call them naive and reformist and want nowte to do with em. But i think when other write these kinds of actions off because they think thats the objective they me be being a little naive too. Think of it as subvertising, it aint gonna cause catastrophic polarisation and revoltution but it might open a few peoples eyes and help feed related movements and antagonism.

Skank


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