In 2023, Philippine lawmaker Rep. Joey Salceda proposed a pragmatic approach to taxation, suggesting that levying taxes on luxury goods such as cars and handbags would be more feasible than imposing high taxes on the super-rich. He contended that a wealth tax in the Philippines might incentivize wealthy individuals to evade taxes, whereas taxing non-essential, expensive items would prompt people to directly bear the cost of their extravagant spending. Thus, he proposed a tax targeting luxury items - a flat-rate tax of 20% on all luxury goods - with the aim of dissuading middle-class consumers from purchasing such items and encouraging them to prioritize essential needs like education. This proposal - that would end up penalising consumers - was dubbed the "Louis Vuitton tax".
But in Europe, rather than taxing luxury goods, people would prefer seeing the rich paying more taxes. Yesterday, for example, members of the activist organization Attac staged a demonstration at the future Louis Vuitton mega-complex on the Champs-Élysées in Paris.
The historic Art Nouveau-style building, originally the Élysée Palace hotel built for the 1900 Paris Exposition, became the focal point of the protest. Video footage circulated on social media platforms, showing activists unfurling banners bearing the message "Tax the rich," as they advocated for increased taxation on ultra-rich individuals and corporations.
According to a statement released by Attac, approximately 50 militants utilized the building's scaffolding to access the roof, where they displayed their message and distributed flyers for their "Super-profit, ultra-riches, mega-injustice" campaign. The demonstration aimed to raise awareness about the need for enhanced taxation on the ultra-wealthy to address social and environmental crises.
The Louis Vuitton mega-complex (that will include retail and hotel accommodation) has actually been drawing the ire also of environmentalist groups as it is currently covered by a hoarding resembling a giant trademark Louis Vuitton trunk. The Green political party filed indeed a complaint with the Council of Paris, challenging the legality and scale of the hoarding, which they viewed as promoting overconsumption (according to French legislation, hoardings on designated buildings can be installed to fund renovations, but advertisements must not occupy more than fifty percent of the allocated space). Despite objections, the hoarding will remain in place until 2027, approved by French authorities under the pretext of financing renovations (Paris Council, highlighted that it is not an advert, but it is is considered temporary hoarding classified as brand signage).
Saturday's protest forms part of Attac's broader campaign for fiscal, social, and ecological justice, with a specific focus on denouncing the extravagant wealth of individuals like Bernard Arnault, LVMH's Chairman and CEO, seeking to hold the ultra-rich accountable and demand fairer distribution of resources. Indeed, Attac militants and other associations peacefully demonstrated on the opposite sidewalk, chanting slogans like "Bernard, we want your billions" or "there is money in the bosses' coffers."
Who knows, maybe as Paris Fashion Week is just starting, the demonstration may signals potential for further activism and engagement on issues of economic inequality and social justice.
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