Uk Uncut Turning Banks Into Libraries (Shhhhhh!)

bristol | anti-cuts | feature Thursday March 17, 2011 10:29 by Bristol UNcut bristolukuncut at gmail dot com

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On Saturday 19th March Bristol Uk Uncut turned a bank into a library.

We had poetry readings, story time, and educating people on the actions of the banks and the ways in which they can and should contribute more to repairing the damage caused by their negligence and greed.

People brought a good book, a poem, library/librarian signs and equipment, banners and flyers, cakes and sweeties.

Where?

The meeting place was in front of the Bristol University Students’ Union, Queens Road, Clifton right in the heart of LibDem MP, Stephen Williams’s constituency. (Right near to bus routes from City Centre and Bristol Temple Meads station.)

We met at 11am, then moved onto our target location.

Why Did We Take Action

In 2007, years of irresponsible lending, rash and reckless speculation and a lack of regulation in the banking sector came to a head, causing a global financial crisis and subsequent recession that led directly to the current program of massive cuts.

Several banks were saved from collapse by the government; the National Audit Office reported that the amount of public money used to bail them out reached almost £1tn at its peak. Yet the City continues to reward itself.

The bailed-out Royal Bank of Scotland has just handed shares worth £28m to nine of its top executives in the latest round of multi-million pound bonus awards by the high street banks. If that’s not disgraceful enough, Barclays have just announced pay-outs for its top five bankers amounting £110 million.

THIS IS MORE THAN THREE TIMES THE £30 MILLION THAT BRISTOL CITY COUNCIL HAS MADE IN CUTS.

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