Lady Godiva had once ridden naked through the streets of Coventry to protest oppressive taxation. Today, a brothel in Austria takes this remonstration strategy to a new level by offering free sex to customers as part of its owner's protest over what he deemed as punitive tax payments.
"We are not paying taxes any more. Effective immediately: Free Entrance! Free Drinks! Free Sex!" the Pascha establishment in Salzburg posted on its website. A woman who answered inquiries over the phone said it was no joke.
In a video at Yahoo, Hermann Mueller, owner of the Brothel said that he would compensate the prostitutes working in the club out of his own pocket rather than pay the government 10,000 euros (roughly $11,000) a month.
The bizarre offer has apparently driven many male patrons queuing outside the brothel to take advantage of the free services as shown in the Oesterreich newspaper.
Salzburg tax office has not commented on the case but the public has been split on the issue.
One male interviewee remarked that when somebody feels like needing to go there then he can freely do so by all means, obliquely justifying the men lining up to avail of the free sex protest campaign.
One female interviewee on the other hand complained that it's great for men but bad for tax authorities.
Mueller, who claims of having paid around 5 million euros in taxes to Salzburg alone over the last 10 years also operates brothels in other cities of Germany and Austria as reported in Huffingtonpost. He has openly expressed his objection and opposition against the punitive taxation and strict regulation of his businesses in media interviews.
The use of sex as a means of protest or to gain public attention or sympathy had since been used by many people usually through nudity. While giving free sex seemed an effective protest, it is nevertheless bad business for the whole sex industry.
