Wednesday, 30 November 2011
Tuesday, 29 November 2011
WRU - Negotiations begin
Today Occupy Cardiff The Great Tax Invasion contacted representative of Welsh Rugby Union Gerald Toms. WRU are the building owners.
"Hello Mr Toms. We are the art collective currently occupying the Old Inland Revenue building. We would welcome negotiations with you. Currently this beautiful building is empty and neglected. Our intentions are to create a community space for the benefit of everyone. The current government austerity measures are effecting a huge array of community groups and projects and we intend to offer them space, along with artists and musicians. We also intend to offer a variety of workshops for adults and children. We have absolutely no intention of damaging the building. On the contrary we believe that it would be beneficial to you , us and the whole community for this project to continue. we would like a 6 month rolling contract with a two month notice period. We will not pay rent, but we will pay utilities general upkeep and maintenance.We look forward to hearing from you."
Reply from Gerald Toms
"Thank you. We will respond to you in due course."
notes: Gerry Toms was appointed to the post of Millennium Stadium General Manager in December 2006.Prior to becoming General Manager, Toms had served as the Millennium Stadium's Safety & Operations Manager since Autumn 2005 and had acted for several years in an advisory capacity to the Millennium Stadium on an event by event basis before taking up that appointment. Gerry Toms is a former Chief Superintendent of South Wales Police and Commander of the Cardiff Division. In addition to his duties with the Millennium Stadium, Toms can be found applying the knowledge of his former occupation to the riddles of unsolved Welsh crimes in BBC Wales's Crimesolver. http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/thewru/structure/16661.php
"Hello Mr Toms. We are the art collective currently occupying the Old Inland Revenue building. We would welcome negotiations with you. Currently this beautiful building is empty and neglected. Our intentions are to create a community space for the benefit of everyone. The current government austerity measures are effecting a huge array of community groups and projects and we intend to offer them space, along with artists and musicians. We also intend to offer a variety of workshops for adults and children. We have absolutely no intention of damaging the building. On the contrary we believe that it would be beneficial to you , us and the whole community for this project to continue. we would like a 6 month rolling contract with a two month notice period. We will not pay rent, but we will pay utilities general upkeep and maintenance.We look forward to hearing from you."
Reply from Gerald Toms
"Thank you. We will respond to you in due course."
notes: Gerry Toms was appointed to the post of Millennium Stadium General Manager in December 2006.Prior to becoming General Manager, Toms had served as the Millennium Stadium's Safety & Operations Manager since Autumn 2005 and had acted for several years in an advisory capacity to the Millennium Stadium on an event by event basis before taking up that appointment. Gerry Toms is a former Chief Superintendent of South Wales Police and Commander of the Cardiff Division. In addition to his duties with the Millennium Stadium, Toms can be found applying the knowledge of his former occupation to the riddles of unsolved Welsh crimes in BBC Wales's Crimesolver. http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/thewru/structure/16661.php
Monday, 28 November 2011
Saturday, 26 November 2011
Press Release 26th November
"THE GREAT TAX INVASION!" - BANNER DROP AT CITY CENTRE BUILDING SQUATTED BY ANTI-CUTS ACTIVISTS
PRESS RELEASE FROM "THE GREAT TAX INVASION"
FOR IMMEDIATE ISSUE
STARTS
Protestors will be hanging banners from the old Inland Revenue Offices on Westgate Street at 2 pm today announcing that the building is now 'occupied'. The long empty building was squatted by activists earlier in the week who said their aim was 'to raise awareness of the huge numbers of buildings left empty by the government which should be made available for the benefit of the community'.
A spokesperson for the group who have dubbed themselves 'The Great Tax Invasion' said,
"Things are hotting up in this city... we now have an Occupy Cardiff camp on Cathedral Road, the long derelict Tredegar Pub on Clifton Street being transformed by squatters into a cultural centre and now we are reclaiming the Old Inland Revenue Offices as a community centre. On Wednesday 30 November many of us will also be joining thousands of striking trade unionists marching through the city. It's about the needy vs. the greedy, the have-nots taking on the have-yachts!"
"At Occupy Cardiff 11.11.11 the police were armed with tasers, this was not a healthy safe environment to protest peacefully. We object to the government neglecting state buildings such as this. We intend to maintain and repair it. Squandered by the state - Squatted by the people 'Occupy Cardiff… The Great Tax Invasion' will be a drug and alcohol free community space, an open forum, creative think tank, arts space, information point and media hub for all those who oppose the government's cuts and austerity"
Asked about the choice of the old Inland Revenue building for the protest, she added,
"This is not a recession it is a robbery. The government is making cuts while allowing big business and the rich to dodge up to £120 billion in taxes every year, we hope our occupation of the old Inland Revenue Offices will send out a clear message about Tax Justice that poor people must not be made to pay for an economic crisis caused by the rich and bankers".
ENDS
NOTES FOR JOURNALISTS
Activists squatted the old Inland Revenue Offices on Westgate Street (opposite Zero Degrees) earlier in the week, but are only now publicly announcing the occupation.
Figures on the £120 billion annually dodged/evaded/avoided by rich and business come from research conducted by PCS Public Sector Trade Union who represent workers in HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs)
"The Great Tax Invasion!" is a diverse group of political activists, artists and musicians of varied occupations who want to take a stand against government attacks on poor people.
PRESS RELEASE FROM "THE GREAT TAX INVASION"
FOR IMMEDIATE ISSUE
STARTS
Protestors will be hanging banners from the old Inland Revenue Offices on Westgate Street at 2 pm today announcing that the building is now 'occupied'. The long empty building was squatted by activists earlier in the week who said their aim was 'to raise awareness of the huge numbers of buildings left empty by the government which should be made available for the benefit of the community'.
A spokesperson for the group who have dubbed themselves 'The Great Tax Invasion' said,
"Things are hotting up in this city... we now have an Occupy Cardiff camp on Cathedral Road, the long derelict Tredegar Pub on Clifton Street being transformed by squatters into a cultural centre and now we are reclaiming the Old Inland Revenue Offices as a community centre. On Wednesday 30 November many of us will also be joining thousands of striking trade unionists marching through the city. It's about the needy vs. the greedy, the have-nots taking on the have-yachts!"
"At Occupy Cardiff 11.11.11 the police were armed with tasers, this was not a healthy safe environment to protest peacefully. We object to the government neglecting state buildings such as this. We intend to maintain and repair it. Squandered by the state - Squatted by the people 'Occupy Cardiff… The Great Tax Invasion' will be a drug and alcohol free community space, an open forum, creative think tank, arts space, information point and media hub for all those who oppose the government's cuts and austerity"
Asked about the choice of the old Inland Revenue building for the protest, she added,
"This is not a recession it is a robbery. The government is making cuts while allowing big business and the rich to dodge up to £120 billion in taxes every year, we hope our occupation of the old Inland Revenue Offices will send out a clear message about Tax Justice that poor people must not be made to pay for an economic crisis caused by the rich and bankers".
ENDS
NOTES FOR JOURNALISTS
Activists squatted the old Inland Revenue Offices on Westgate Street (opposite Zero Degrees) earlier in the week, but are only now publicly announcing the occupation.
Figures on the £120 billion annually dodged/evaded/avoided by rich and business come from research conducted by PCS Public Sector Trade Union who represent workers in HMRC (Her Majesty's Revenue & Customs)
"The Great Tax Invasion!" is a diverse group of political activists, artists and musicians of varied occupations who want to take a stand against government attacks on poor people.
Statement
Monday 21st November 2011
Occupy Cardiff… The Great Tax Invasion!
We are reclaiming The Old Inland Revenue Offices to use in a creative collaborative non-hierarchal way to show the problems with non-participatory democracy
We need to protest and to do it safely. We need to be indoors so the protest is accessible to all. There are a number of serious incidents that have led us to needing the occupation to be indoors for example, reports of sexual attacks on women in other cities in the UK, far right groups assaulting groups on the streets. We want to help make it possible to protest peacefully.
At Occupy Cardiff 11.11.11 the police were armed with tasers, this was not a healthy safe environment to protest peacefully.
We object to the government neglecting state buildings such as this. We intend to maintain and repair it.
Squandered by the state - Squatted by the people
Occupy Cardiff… The Great Tax Invasion is a drug and alcohol free community space, an open forum, creative think tank, arts space, information point and media hub.
Occupy Cardiff… The Great Tax Invasion!
We are reclaiming The Old Inland Revenue Offices to use in a creative collaborative non-hierarchal way to show the problems with non-participatory democracy
We need to protest and to do it safely. We need to be indoors so the protest is accessible to all. There are a number of serious incidents that have led us to needing the occupation to be indoors for example, reports of sexual attacks on women in other cities in the UK, far right groups assaulting groups on the streets. We want to help make it possible to protest peacefully.
At Occupy Cardiff 11.11.11 the police were armed with tasers, this was not a healthy safe environment to protest peacefully.
We object to the government neglecting state buildings such as this. We intend to maintain and repair it.
Squandered by the state - Squatted by the people
Occupy Cardiff… The Great Tax Invasion is a drug and alcohol free community space, an open forum, creative think tank, arts space, information point and media hub.
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