U2 Face Protest At Glastonbury

A group of artists and campaigners are planning a highly visible publicity stunt at this month's Glastonbury rock festival in England, where Irish rockers U2 are set to headline.

The lobby group called Art Uncut will make the protest to highlight what they say is the band's tax avoidance.

U2 moved part of its business to The Netherlands in order to reduce its tax burden in 2006, after the Irish government introduced a cap on the amount of tax-free earnings artists can enjoy.

Art Uncut says their protest will not be violent or disruptive of the concert.

They plan to hold up large illuminated signs saying "Bono Pay Up", and float giant bundles of fake cash across the crowd from an Irish tricolor on one side of the field to a Dutch flag on the other.

The protest group says that Bono is a deserving target because of his high-profile campaign on Third World debt, and his inconsistency in moving his own tax liability out of Ireland to reduce its bill.

U2 insists it has always been fully tax compliant.

Manager Paul McGuinness defended their tax affairs.

"U2 is a global business and pays taxes globally," he said, "At least 95% of U2's business takes place outside of Ireland and as a result the band pays many different kinds of taxes all over the world."