In an act of civil disobedience, a tattoo shop in South London opened on Saturday, January 30 in protest against lockdown restrictions, which prevent “non-essential” shops from operating.
In an exclusive interview with Breitbart London, the owner of the Croydon-based Tales of Inkspiration Tattoo Studio said that he feels people have an “obligation” to stand up against the “tyrannical government”.
Terry Brown, who said that he has owned and operated the tattoo parlour for eight years, questioned the government’s decision to classify his business as ‘non-essential’, as he explained his business is essential for him to provide for his family.
“I don’t really understand who else has the right to deem what is essential to me and my family,” he said.
Brown claimed that since the lockdowns were introduced he has been visited by police five times, threatening to fine him for breaching the coronavirus regulations.
On Saturday, the police came again to the shop to ensure that no money was changing hands.
“I think a lot of people would want to [reopen their businesses] but they are scared of losing more of their liberty… but if you don’t make a stand now, you’re just going to keep losing, more and more will be taken away,” Brown said.
The small business owner told Breitbart London that he believes that if the British public sees “brave people” defying the lockdown restrictions then it will create a snowball effect leading to a so-called ‘Great Reopening’.
“You’ve got rights to stand up against a tyrannical government and if we are not being governed justly then we have the right and we also have, actually, the obligation to stand against anyone who is governing us tyrannically… and that’s exactly what’s happened,” Brown said.
In January, hundreds of businesses in the Polish “winter capital” of Zakopane announced their intentions to reopen and defy the government’s coronavirus lockdowns, which they characterised as “madness”.
Days later, thousands of restaurants in Italy staged a similar action. Opposition MP Vittorio Sgarbi endorsed the movement, saying: “Open up and don’t worry. In the end, we will make them eat their fines.”
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