Group to occupy banks in NHS demo

The clean-up operation at Fortnum and Mason which was targeted in a previous demonstration
12 April 2012

A protest group plans to occupy high street banks to campaign against proposed NHS cuts.

UK Uncut - which was behind the occupation of upper-class London store Fortnum and Mason in March - said it would launch The Emergency Operation.

Its members will don scrubs, bandages and fake blood as they try to occupy banks in 35 cities and towns, turning them into "hospitals".

Health worker and UK Uncut supporter Rosie Beech, 29, said: "David Cameron said he wasn't going to cut the NHS. He lied.

"50,000 NHS staff will lose their jobs, whilst the taxpayer continues to subsidise the banks.

"Why is the Government cutting the NHS and privatising what's left rather than forcing our broken banking system to pay up?"

Activist Josephine Hill, 34, said: "I will not be intimidated out of protesting by blatant political policing.

"It is vital that we continue to take action against the Government's brutal cuts agenda, especially the wholesale destruction of the NHS."

In a sign of increasing unity between the trade unions and direct action groups, the Public and Commercial Services union encouraged its members to attend.

A statement on the PCS website said: "The idea is to highlight the billions of pounds' worth of tax breaks given to the banking sector - money which could and should be invested in the NHS."

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