By Steve Hynd
US Uncut protest outside Bank of America in D.C. (Source)
With events planned in over 50 cities across America today, the grassroots protest movement known as US Uncut should be making a media splash. Sit-ins at branches of Bank of America are designed to highlight the bank's evasion of U.S. taxes through exploitation of legal and accounting loopholes, despite it's making record profits and paying record bonuses. One of the movement's founders explains:
"The $3 in my wallet is more than ExxonMobil, GE and Bank of America paid in taxes last year, combined," said Carl Gibson, founder of US Uncut Mississippi. "There's a direct connection between corporate tax dodging and what's happening to real people�s lives. Because of overseas tax havens and other tax loopholes, US corporations are making profits in America but barely paying taxes here. If we close those loopholes, we wouldn't have to be cutting back on firefighters, library hours and student loans."
Following the precedent set by the UK Uncut movement, none of the protests will be particularly large - but they will disrupt the bank's operations and cost it millions in lost business today. Bank of America and its corporate tax-dodging chums will doubtless sit up and take notice. The question is, will the American mainstream media?
Update: Over 100 protesters managed to convince the Dupont Circle, D.C., branch of Bank of America to close early for the day.
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