Here it is! The day of massive anti-cuts protests is finally here: tomorrow hundreds of thousands of ordinary people will take to the streets of London to oppose these unnecessary and reckless cuts that the government is choosing to make; as they continue to ignore alternatives such as chasing super-rich tax dodgers or changing our broken banking system.

But people know we can’t stop at marching from A to B if we’re serious about stopping this government’s reckless agenda. Tomorrow, instead of listening to the rally in Hyde Park, many of us will leave the march and head to Oxford Street, to transform branches of tax-dodging companies and bailed-out banks into hospitals, theatres, libraries, and more (check out our action page for more info). This is our chance to get creative, to get empowered and to take real get-in-the-way democracy to London. Starting at 2pm, Oxford Street will be completely recreated and in doing so, we will ruin the government’s lie that there are no alternatives to these brutal cuts.

Then, at 3.30pm we will all gather together at Oxford Circus and head to a secret target. Imagine the scene: a crowd of committed people, together setting up one massive occupation: what an amazing culmination to an amazing day. This is about serious issues; the most devastating cuts this country has seen since the twenties are about to bite and we’re serious about taking action against them.

But with so many incredible people in one place it’s inevitably going to be fun! We want to create the most colourful, lively, engaging space we possibly can, so come prepared! Bring balloons and beachballs, bubbles and boardgames. Bring decorations to completely transform the space. Bring crayons and felt-tips and chalk and pencils. Bring paper by the ream (please re-cycle) and we’ll make enough paper planes to fill up the skies. Musicians, bring your instruments; drummers, bring your drums; singers bring your voices and your favourite songs to sing. Bring picnics and we’ll have a feast. Most importantly, bring your excitement, your dedication and all of your energy.

Tomorrow is going to be an incredible day. We will see hundreds of thousands marching against the cuts and many of us getting creative on Oxford Street too. Come prepared and we’ll create a spectacle that will be fun, impressive and effective all at the same time.

See you on the streets…

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On March 26th, join UK Uncut as we take over Oxford Street, say no to the cuts and make the tax dodgers and the banks pay.

11.30am Meet outside the National Theatre on the South Bank to march with the UK Uncut bloc
2.00pm Come to Oxford Street to join in the actions. You can view a list of planned actions on the actions page. This might mean leaving the march a little early. Talk to people as you march, explain to them what Occupy For the Alternative is and see if you can persuade them to join you.
3.30pm Gather at Oxford Circus ready for a mass occupation of a top secret target. You don’t want to miss this!

Until now we have been fighting a phoney war. On March 23rd George Osborne announces his budget and the real battle begins. We don’t know the exact details of the budget yet, but what’s certain is that it won’t be a blueprint for any mythical Big Society. Instead, it’ll be a recipe for a society that is smaller, colder and crueller.

But there is an alternative. And on March 26th the fight back begins properly, with hundreds of thousands of people descending on London to join the TUC’s massive March For The Alternative. UK Uncut will be joining the march, but we’ll also be bringing a little something of our own to the party.

Over the last five months, thousands of UK Uncut volunteers across the country have been hitting the high streets to show that there are alternatives. Collect the tax dodged by the super rich and make the banks pay for the crisis they caused.

On March 26th, just after the huge march has reached its final destination, we’re going to be holding Occupy For the Alternative, a massive simultaneous shut down of banks and tax dodgers on London’s Oxford Street.

From 2pm flash mobs, bail-ins and occupations will shut down the dozens of banks and tax dodgers along the length of Europe’s biggest shopping street.

And at 3.30pm, after the dispersed actions, there will be a massive final convergence, ready for a spectacular mass occupation of a secret target.

March 26th is not the end of the battle against the cuts. It is the beginning. Join us on Oxford Street and let’s help kick things off in style.

After you’ve marched, why not occupy? See you on the streets.

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Setting up the actions on Oxford Street is up to you! If you have an idea and a few friends, why not pick one of the potential targets on Oxford Street (see map below) and list an action? Maybe you want to set up a library in Vodafone? Or flashmob Boots? Or what about bailing-in to Barclays?

There will be lots of people on Oxford Street, so don’t worry too much about getting numbers. If you list it, they will come. All you need to do is grab a few mates, come up with a cool idea, get any props you need and list the action on the website as normal.

We’ll have all the flyers you need to engage the general public and will give them out to you on Oxford Street. All you need to do is list the action, maybe make a banner, bring some friends and occupy!


View Tax dodgers and banks near Oxford Street in a larger map

UK Uncut: For immediate release
For interviews and information please call the UK Uncut media number 07951 992 825


UK Uncut announce: 'Occupy for the Alternative' - plans for 26 March, anti-cuts protest

• 2pm – UK Uncut groups from across the country will target banks and shops on Oxford Street
• 3.30pm – UK Uncut will announce and occupy a secret target – and aim to stay for as long as possible

UK Uncut, the anti-cuts direct action group, will take over retailers and banks on Oxford Street, London’s busiest shopping street, on 26th March, the day of a massive demonstration highlighting alternatives to the government’s cuts programme called by the TUC.

Up to a quarter of a million people from across the country are expected to join the march in protest at the government’s failure to pursue alternatives to unprecedented cuts in public spending. During and after the march, activists from UK Uncut plan to turn banks and tax-dodging stores on Oxford Street into creches, libraries and homeless shelters to point out that these services could be saved by clamping down on tax avoidance and making banks contribute more.

Activists from UK Uncut will also be forming a bloc on the march where hundreds of their supporters who have taken action in cities and towns across the country will come together for the first time. The last UK Uncut day of action saw actions in 40 different locations across the UK including Aberdeen, Abergavenny, Tunbrige Wells, London and Manchester.

Whereas previous days of action have focused on a single company, it is expected that from 2pm, UK Uncut groups from different towns across the UK will simulataneously shut down the premises of the different brands, including tax-dodging retailers Vodafone, Boots, Tesco, Topshop and Dorothy Perkins and banks RBS, Lloyds, Natwest and Barclays.

The protesters say that in addition, a secret target will be revealed on the day of the march, with regional groups expected to come together for a mass occupation.

Laura Carpenter, 32, said: “The government say there is no alternative to the cuts. 26th March is the day that people from across the UK come together to show that they will not tolerate this lie. The government is making a political choice to cut and privatise public services whilst there are clear alternatives, like making the banks pay for the crisis that they caused or clamping down on tax dodging by corporations and rich individuals. I’m going to join in the start of the march but then head off to Oxford Street, as I feel it’s important I show how strongly I feel about this issue.”

Sam Oakes, 28 said “The previous UK Uncut protests I’ve attended have been highly creative, great fun and really effective in showing everyone that there are alternatives to the cuts. Occupying a shop can seem a bit scary, but once you’ve done it and people on the street are stopping to congratulate you, you realise the power of people coming together to take action, so once you've marched why not occupy?.”

ENDS

Notes to editors

For more information or interview requests, please call 07951 992 825

The secret target will not be revealed until the 26th March.
For more information on UK Uncut's previous days of action and the plan for 'Occupy for the alternative', please see www.ukuncut.org.uk

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