UK Uncut and US sister group stage more protests at banks

Over 40 UK branches saw action by campaign group, including a 'big society reading room', a 'job centre' and a teach-in

(Jonathan Paige)

UK Uncut, the anti-cuts campaign group, staged protests at more than 40 bank branches throughout Britain on a day when the group's American counterpart, US Uncut, staged at least 50 protests. The fast growing British group, still under six months old, staged the Big Society Bail In protests to show the range of services it says have had to be cut in order to support the financial sector. Last week the group focused on Barclays, which admitted it paid just £113m tax in the UK in 2009 on reported profits of £11.6bn.

This week the protests were aimed at 84% state-owned RBS, which has revealed that more than 100 of their bankers were paid more than £1m last year, while total bonuses reached close to £1bn on the bailed-out bank's reported losses of £1.1bn for 2010. Other banks' branches, including NatWest and Lloyds, in which the Treasury holds 41% of shares, were also targeted.

In Islington, protesters turned up at a branch of RBS with buckets of soapy water, washing lines and clothes pegs in to highlight claimed council cuts to services for the elderly. Supporters included the Labour MP for Islington North, Jeremy Corbyn and pensioners from the borough.

Emma, speaking for the demonstrators, said: "The banks caused the financial crisis yet it's ordinary people across the country having to pay for it, through cuts to vital public services. By propping up banks like RBS with billions of pounds of bailout money the government has forced cuts to services like laundry help for the elderly, which is why we're here today.

"The cuts are a political choice, not a necessity."

In Brixton, 20 people brought tents and sleeping bags into NatWest to create a homeless shelter, while a branch of Lloyds in Oxford Street saw a teach-in featuring lecturers from other tax campaign groups including the Robin Hood Campaign and Tax Justice. A bank branch in Birmingham temporarily became a "job centre" while protesters in Nottingham set up a "big society reading room".

Many smaller towns also staged actions. Protesters in Redhill, Surrey set up a "hospital" in a branch of Natwest, while a bank branch in Eastleigh, Hampshire was turned into a "leisure centre" and one in Lewes became a drama club.

Daniel Garvin, a spokesman for UK Uncut, said: "The day went extremely well. There 40 actions across the UK, which have hammered home the link between the crisis caused by the banks and the cuts to our essential services. The movement has gone international with the US staging 50 protests. It's become a global issue, proving people can work across borders to tackle issues like corporate tax avoidance and cuts to services."

US Uncut, despite being formed three weeks ago, has already come to the attention of the rightwing Fox News host Glenn Beck, who suggested the protests are part of a global conspiracy that includes anti-union law protests in Wisconsin and the revolts in the Middle East.

In Washington DC, over 100 protesters temporarily closed down a branch of the Bank of America, which received and repaid $45 billion in the 2009 US federal bailout. US Uncut said it has exploited the tax code to pay no federal income taxes in 2009, while paying its top executives millions of dollars.

"We were inspired by UK Uncut to stage a teach-in," said Rizvi Qureshi, of US Uncut DC. "It went on for about half an hour, before people left of their own accord and carried on protesting outside. There was a very small police presence and the protest ended without any trouble.

"This is just the beginning of a larger national campaign about tax avoidance in response to federal budget cuts. We hope to do something equally creative in the future."

Protests have taken place in Boston, New York and the Midwest. Many actions are still underway on the west coast of the US, from Seattle in the north to San Diego in the south. A protest is also taking place in Nova Scotia, Canada, with more planned across the country.

RBS said: "We fully respect the right to peaceful protest. Minimising disruption to our customers is our priority." The group's chairman, Sir Philip Hampton, said the number of millionaires was lower than a year ago and that a quarter of the group's 18,700 investment bankers would not receive a bonus from the £950m payout pool agreed with UK Financial Investments.