Protestors demonstrated in Oxford Circus this weekend, chanting “Topshop, shame on you.”
Between 150 and 200 protestors staged a demonstration outside of Topshop‘s flagship Oxford Circus store on Saturday as part of a campaign to win real wages for the cleaning staff employed by the clothing retailer.
“Two Topshop cleaners joined out union,” said Teresa Grey, from the trade union, United Voices of the World. “For that, one was sacked, the other suspended.”
Grey said they were on the streets to “make their voices heard”, though when asked where the group was marching she replied: “No idea. We‘re just marching.”
The police eventually moved the group away from Oxford Circus, after which the demonstration changed to a march down Oxford Street, with a few protestors attempting to enter the John Lewis department store and clashing with officers at the entrance. Finally, they arrived at the Marble Arch Topshop branch, which was forced to close its shutters, locking shoppers inside for around a quarter of an hour.
Such protests are hardly the biggest problem currently faced by Sir Philip Green, the chairman of the Arcadia Group which owns Topshop. He is currently being investigated over his management of BHS prior to selling it for £1 in 2015. The department store chain fell into administration in April, leaving many unanswered questions which Green will be forced to address when he appears before parliament in June.
