Tax Resistance News from Italy, France, Ireland, Spain, and Greece

Some international tax resistance news:

Italy

It came as news to me, but I think it may have been established last year: Sciopero Fiscale (Tax Strike), a project of Democracy in Action. They believe that the Italian government is taxing excessively and performing dismally, and that the time has come to stop buying it. “Paying taxes is a duty, but it should be the right of every citizen not to pay them if they are used for evil or immoral purposes.”

France

A Breton farmer, Joseph Baron, is being pursued by the government for over a million in euros in damages for an attack on an “ecotax” highway portal. Supporters joined Baron in the courthouse, and also carried banners outside. They have also formed a support committee and are raising funds to assist him.

Ireland

Activists with Bray Water Meter Watch captured two junction boxes that workers intended to install to facilitate the metering and taxing of residential water service. They held the boxes hostage until the workers reinstalled the old, unmetered stopcocks and repaired the torn-up sidewalk.

Spain

War tax resister Pepa Pretel, under threat of having her home seized and sold by the government, gave in and paid the amount due. She says, however, that “the important thing is that people know that there is this disobedience.” Pretel was one of several hundred people in Spain who redirected a percentage of their tax bill, equivalent to the military percentage of the Spanish government budget, to charitable causes. “These resources wasted in the preparation for war, could be redirected to satisfy the basic necessities of the people and to promote egalitarian and nonviolent values that surpass the values of fear and aggression promoted by the military system we suffer from.” She says that despite the setback, she plans to continue resisting.

Greece

The Journal of Journalists (or something like that, it’s Greek to me) wrote up a backgrounder highlighting some historical tax resistance campaigns from around the world.

The “ΔΕΝ ΠΛΗΡΩΝΩ” (Not Paying) movement has launched a political party.

From the 2 September 1843 Monmouthshire Merlin:

Rebeccaism.

In our last, we stated that two excellent gates had been thrown over the garden wall of Mr. Pain, from St. Woollos churchyard. We have since heard that these gates, and some others, were stolen from premises in the vicinity of Bryn Hyfrid, the residence of Mr. L. Edwards, and that a similar gate was discovered in one of the fields of that gentleman. There is no doubt but the witless and wanton fellows who committed the outrage, were impelled thereto only by a spirit of mischief, or a desire to plume themselves on deserving the title of Rebeccaites.

Prevention of Rebeccaism.

We understand that a special general meeting of the trustees of roads is announced for the 13^th instant, at Brecon, for the purpose of considering the justice of discontinuing twelve toll gates. We should much like to hear of an announcement of a similar meeting near Newport. Rumney and Caerleon gates are subject of grievous complaint.