Video: Protesters take
over Barclays bank in Canterbury

by Katie Alston

kalston@thekmgroup.co.uk

Barclays bankers didn’t know what to do with themselves when
protesters walked into the Canterbury city centre branch, sat on
the floor and opened books.

Around 15 demonstrators set up camp at noon on Saturday calling
the action a Big Society Bail-In.

The group said the aim of their actions was to tell the
government to ‘stop cuts and make Barclays and the other banks pay
for the crisis they caused.’

Police spoke to protesters inside the branch, while security
guards locked the doors and ensured they let only Barclays
customers through the doors.

Protesters were told to stop handing out leaflets to passing
shoppers.

As well as information they had also been giving out Barclays
Big Society Library Lenders Passes.

Although campaigners were armed with games, books and pillows
they weren’t sure how long their action was going to last.

One of the demonstrator’s organisers Alex Stephenson said:
“It was greed and the recklessness of the banks that caused the
economic crisis. Yet the government are making ordinary people pay
the price.

“The government are lying to us when they say the cuts are a
necessity. They are a political choice.

“We hope our action will draw these points to the front of
people’s minds.”

Dozens of demonstrators also managed to occupy a branch of
Barclays in central London as part of a day of national action
against the bank.

UK Uncut organised 41 protests across the country over claims of
legal tax avoidance.

No one from Barclays was available for comment.