Skip to main content

Tax avoidance: Newham eviction mums lead national day of action against dodger Vodafone with Oxford Street kids' party

UK Uncut returns to shame multinational for reported £6bn tax write-off

Homeless young mums took over Vodafone’s flagship London store as part of a national day of action on Saturday, amid rising anger over the company’s tax avoidance record.

The group is being threatened with eviction from temporary accommodation at the Focus E15 hostel in the London Borough of Newham.

“We won’t stop protesting until this government stops the cuts and makes corporations pay their fair share,” said E15 mother and organiser Jasmine Stone.

Their shop front protest highlighted the gulf in treatment between multinational likes Vodafone and Britain’s most vulnerable.

Vodafone was reportedly forgiven a £6 billion tax debt in 2010 by Tory Chancellor George Osborne.

In comparison, this year’s cuts to the welfare budget alone amounted to £12 billion.

UK Uncut supporter Emma Sanchez said she was “sick of the government letting corporations like Vodafone dodge billions every year while millions of people are left without decent, safe housing.”

In London, the protest took on the tone of a festival as people turned the shop front into a children’s party featuring colouring books and games with tax-dodging company themes.

Vodafone’s private security attempted to shut down the protest at the Oxford Street store, but were forced to give up and close the shop for the day.

“We had a great party in Vodafone’s flagship store,” concluded Ms Sanchez, adding that the protest even had “lots of passers-by joining in.”

Hundreds took part in this Saturday’s action, blockading the entrances of Vodafone’s high street stores across the country.

Pictures of similar protests and occupations in Bristol, Grimsby, Manchester, Norwich and Glasgow quickly went viral with a total of 10 shops affected by the end of the day.

Many of the shops were able to lock their doors before activists stormed in, but the protests went on regardless with plenty of music, dancing and chanting.

More actions are expected in the months to come, in particular at the People’s Assembly’s No More Austerity national demonstration on June 21.

OWNED BY OUR READERS

We're a reader-owned co-operative, which means you can become part of the paper too by buying shares in the People’s Press Printing Society.

 

 

Become a supporter

Fighting fund

You've Raised:£ 13,288
We need:£ 4,712
3 Days remaining
Donate today