Campaigners swarmed Arcadia stores across the country on Saturday to protest against the tax status of its billionaire owner Sir Philip Green.
More than 200 protesters from UK Uncut forced the closure of Arcadia’s Topshop Oxford Circus. A sit-in was staged at 11am with campaigners sounding whistles and chanting “if you want to sell your clothes, pay your tax”. Police and security guards removed the protesters and the store re-opened at 2pm.
UK Uncut is targeting tax avoidance by big businesses. The protests against Arcadia centre on a £1.2bn dividend payment which the retailer paid to Green’s Monaco-based wife, a nominal owner of the firm, five years ago.
A further 22 protests were staged at Arcadia stores elsewhere including Manchester, Brighton and Birmingham. At Brighton eight protesters are reported as gluing their hands to the inside of the shop window at Topshop’s Western Road branch.
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