“Our story is more powerful than the hatred we saw here last week. Our story places the blame with the billionaires, and we need to tell it loud and clear.”
On September 20, a large crowd gathered in central London for the Make Them Pay rally. This major demonstration demanded the government taxes the super-rich, protects workers, not billionaires, and makes polluters pay for their environmental damage.
Organised ahead of the Autumn Budget, the rally aimed to increase public pressure on the government to introduce taxes on extreme wealth and polluting corporations, to fund urgent climate action and ensure a just transition to a fairer society where everyone can flourish.
In contrast to the far-right demonstration led by Tommy Robinson just a week earlier, which received widespread media attention, the Make Them Pay rally, despite its peaceful message and prominent speakers, was largely ignored by mainstream media.
Among those who addressed the crowd was Reverend Helen Burnett of Christian Climate Action (CCA), who said:
“Today in Whitehall Jesus would be turning over the tables of injustice. Today we must tell stories that name the real causes of inequality, rejecting the narrative that wants us to turn against each other. Our story is more powerful than the hatred we saw here last week. Our story places the blame with the billionaires, and we need to tell it loud and clear.”
Another prominent speaker was Faiza Shaheen, a leading international expert on inequality and executive director of Tax Justice UK. In June 2024, Shaheen was controversially blocked from standing as a Labour candidate after allegedly liking social media posts that were said to downplay antisemitism, claims she disputes. She maintains she was “penalised for describing [her] experiences of Islamophobia.”
Speaking passionately about her experience with political gatekeeping and corporate lobbying, Shaheen told the crowd: “…the same rich and powerful elite ensure that algorithms spread hate and lies over unity and truth. The same people funding the fascists protecting the interests of the defence industry and not being in government to block taxes on the super rich and the big polluters.
“I’ve been close enough to power to see how it really works. When I was elected as a Labour candidate, and you may know the story of how I was blocked, and I’m pretty proud of it to be honest, I was immediately emailed by the likes of Bupa and Barclays Bank. This is how they work, they are constantly lobbying in the background.”
Economist, author, and former trader Gary Stevenson also took to the stage. Known for his candid views on economic inequality, Stevenson made an impassioned plea for wealth taxation: “I want you guys to resist hatred and division. I want you guys to educate, educate, educate your families, your friends, your communities. The only way to protect your futures, your wealth, is to tax wealth and not work. A change is coming.”
Green Party leader Zack Polanski echoed the call for economic justice: “Since the pandemic began, billionaire wealth in this country has doubled, our public assets have been stripped away, and we are here with one main message – it is time to tax the rich.”
One attendee described Polanski’s speech as “very inspiring.” The told LFF: “I reckon many came to listen to him. The march was very well received by Londoners.”
Despite the strong turnout and clear messages of equality, climate justice, and solidarity, the rally received almost no coverage in mainstream media. The Big Issue was one of the few outlets to acknowledge the event. Writing ahead of the rally, Izzie McIntosh, an organiser with Make Them Pay and campaigns and policy manager at Global Justice Now, stated:
“Britain has a proud history of campaigning in the streets for a better world, from rent strikes of the past to the Palestine solidarity marches of the present. It’s time to show up and take to the streets again, because wherever there is oppression and injustice, there must be resistance. We know our real enemies are not our neighbours or people seeking asylum, but the billionaire elite who are hoarding wealth, attacking our democracies and driving forward divisive and misleading rhetoric. It’s time to Make Them Pay.”
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