Stop the Rochester tax cheats

August 22, 2011

ROCHESTER, N.Y.--A group of activists calling themselves the "Band of Rebels" has formed here. The 25 activists model themselves after the U.S. Uncut movements in other cities, which target companies that pay little or no federal taxes.

Anti-corporate activists like U.S. Uncut argue that the brutal cuts to social spending that politicians in Washington claim are necessary wouldn't need to be considered, if American corporations were forced to pay their taxes. And if Washington won't force them to pay, activists are going to have to turn up the heat.

Band of Rebel activists have organized weekly protests against corporations who avoid paying taxes. Their first protest, on August 8, targeted Bank of America, which is the largest bank in the country, and yet doesn't to pay taxes. Protesters got lots of support from people driving by and pedestrians who stopped to inquire about our message.

When workers went on strike at Verizon, the group turned out to protest Verizon, which is attacking its union workers and paid no corporate taxes for the last two years, despite billions in profit. The demonstration at a Verizon store drew the local news and was brimming with energy.

The group plans to continue their demonstrations at Verizon and other locations, and hopes to become a permanent presence against corporate greed in the city and make the real tax cheats pay.

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