A glittering Christmas tree at the Ritz Hotel received an unexpected and pungent addition this week: a deliberate dumping of manure by wealth-tax protestors.
The act, carried out by three members of a newly formed group called Take Back Power, wasn’t about naughty lists or coal in stockings. It was a stark statement aimed at the widening gap between the wealthiest and the rest of the UK.
Protestors swiftly poured bags of manure beneath the iconic tree, a symbolic gesture intended to highlight what they see as the “fertilizing” effect of wealth on a system they believe is fundamentally unfair.
Take Back Power is demanding the establishment of a permanent “House of the People,” a citizen’s assembly empowered to tax extreme wealth and address the nation’s pressing issues.
Security personnel quickly intervened, removing the protestors from the lobby, but not before they displayed signs declaring “INEQUALITY IS S*#T” and “TAX THE RICH.”
Ellen Redwood-Brown, a 23-year-old NHS worker involved in the action, spoke of witnessing firsthand the devastating consequences of underfunding. She described patients dying due to lack of access to care and doctors working relentlessly long shifts.
“We could take away 75% of billionaire wealth to fix Britain, and they’d *still* be billionaires,” Redwood-Brown asserted, emphasizing the potential for significant positive change.
Tom Barber, a 65-year-old former doctor and journalist, painted a picture of concentrated power in the hands of a select few, relentlessly pursuing wealth at the expense of societal well-being.
He passionately argued for a permanent citizens’ assembly, believing it’s the only way to restore faith in democracy and ensure decisions are made for the benefit of all, not just the privileged.
A spokesperson for Take Back Power highlighted the stark contrast between the super-rich doubling their wealth since the pandemic and the reality of a third of UK children growing up in poverty this Christmas.
The group believes a legally binding citizens’ assembly is crucial, giving those most affected by inequality a direct voice in shaping a fairer society.
The Ritz Hotel declined to provide a statement, while requests for comment from the Metropolitan Police and Take Back Power remain outstanding.
