Homeless protesters target Bono's Dublin hotel
This photo was taken yesterday outside The Clarence Hotel in Dublin. This luxury hotel is partly owned by Irish rock star Paul Hewson (aka Bono), who has become a focal point for Irish protesters concerned about the level of tax avoidance by that country's elites.
Bono famously shifted his band's tax affairs to the Netherlands to dodge paying royalties in Ireland, but was subsequently criticised when he tried to push the Irish finance minister to increase the level of development assistance to poorer countries: the Minister was unimpressed by Bono's willingness to spend other people's taxes while not being willing to dip into his own (very deep) pockets.
The reference to Ballymun is a dig at Bono's claims to originate from that disadvantaged area of Dublin. In fact, he grew up in the more affluent residential area alongside the Ballymun tower blocks. In an interesting illustration of the class divisions that plague Ireland, the residents of the posh area where Hewson grew up were so horrified at being associated with a working class estate they voted to change the name of Ballymun Avenue to Glasnevin Avenue.
Bono famously shifted his band's tax affairs to the Netherlands to dodge paying royalties in Ireland, but was subsequently criticised when he tried to push the Irish finance minister to increase the level of development assistance to poorer countries: the Minister was unimpressed by Bono's willingness to spend other people's taxes while not being willing to dip into his own (very deep) pockets.
The reference to Ballymun is a dig at Bono's claims to originate from that disadvantaged area of Dublin. In fact, he grew up in the more affluent residential area alongside the Ballymun tower blocks. In an interesting illustration of the class divisions that plague Ireland, the residents of the posh area where Hewson grew up were so horrified at being associated with a working class estate they voted to change the name of Ballymun Avenue to Glasnevin Avenue.
posted by TJN at 12:53 am
1 Comments:
Such a great article it was which The Clarence Hotel in Dublin is luxurious hotel is partly owned by Irish rock star Paul Hewson (aka Bono), who has become a focal point for Irish protesters concerned about the level of tax avoidance by that country's elites. In deed Bono's willingness to spend other people's taxes while not being willing to dip into his own pockets. Thanks for sharing this article.
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