Jingle Bells, Vodafone Smells

Saturday 19th marked another landmark in the now epic battle against corporate tax evasion. Dubbed “pay day” by UK uncut the day saw around 55 different actions in towns and cities across the UK targeting big business fraudsters including Vodafone, the Arcadia Group (Topshop, Dorothy Perkins, BHS etc), Boots and HSBC.

Polis blockaded the shop so we didn't have too (pic: Indymedia)

In Glasgow around 25 activists braved the snow to take part in a successfull occupation of Vodafone. On arriving at the original meeting point outside Topshop it became clear that the polis were well prepared for us and would have made it impossible for us to successfully occupy Topshop. So we quickly decided it was best to do a bit of “disper and converge” and reassemble inside Vodafone on Argyll Street 13 minutes later (I even got to synchronise my phone making me late for work today).

After drifting in to Vodafone we did our best to blend in…so much so that I saw one of the staff rubbing his hands together as he appoached (nae joy). We had a little sing-song, most notably a great little version of Jingle Bells put together by our friends at Citizens United before Strathclyde’s finest arrived to send us on our way…and then say we couldn’t go on our way. What followed was the most thinly veiled attempt at making us all give our details and be filmed I have ever witnessed. As we all know you have no compulsion to be filmed or give details without being told what specific offence you had committed. Instead we were informed that we were being asked to give details because we were “witnesses.” When asked what we may have witnessed we were told “we’ll have to check the CCTV first”…in other words nothing. It’s pretty clear the bizzies were rather pissed at being outsmarted (again) by a group of weans and old folks which is something they had better get used to. Of course myself, Donald Duck & Roger Rabbit all complied and gave them our names not wishing to get arrested/miss the SSP Christmas Party.

We continued our freezing vigil on the pavement for an hour or so where again the response was overwhelming. And when I say that I don’t mean it in the way you normally hear on the left. I mean, an overwhelming majority of people were supportive and disgusted to hear of the masssive tax dodging antics of the Governments chronies at Vodafone and we shifted 1000 leaflets in less than an hour.

HSBC: House Stealing Banker Cunts

Elsewhere this week we have saw some really creative actions, like the Sports Day outside Topshop in Oxford Circus protesting against cuts in sports funding for schools – Phillip Green’s tax dodge would be enough to fund sport in schools for 2 full years. Similarly a “sleep in” was organised inside a branch of HSBC. HSBC are doing a Vodafone by attempting to “renegotiate” a £2bn tax bill – enough to cancel out the £1.8bn cuts in housing benefit which will see families thrown out on the street.

Creative actions like these help make a direct link in people’s minds between the cuts and those responsible i.e. the tax dodging companies. The constant (and pretty positive, giving how wet folks like Guardian get about Twitter) coverage in the media is becoming an increasing headache for big business who not only lose punters but more importantly are losing the PR battle. The Arcadia Group have thus far been totally silent (because the allegations are true) and Vodafone have only issue a non-denying “denial” by saying “we do not have a £6bn tax liability.” That statement is true and is in fact the whole reason we are protesting in the first place because HMRC wrote off their tax bill meaning there is no liability.

UKUncut is fast becoming a rallying point for a wide group of disenfranchised folk who are angry about the continuos lie that we have no choice but cuts and that there is no alternative to the ConDem vision of our society. In Glasgow it has been a great example of unity in action with those who share our aims and we should look to extend the pool by linking in with myriad of anti-cuts groups and activists to promote direct action. The theiving crooks are on the back foot. This weekend sends a clear message to those currently concocting schemes to dodge paying their share…when we catch you, we’ll make you pay. Let’s make 2011 the year the Big Society Revenue and Customs takes back what we’re owed.