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Protest and democracy.
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In May 1381, a tax collector came to Fobbing, a village in Essex, UK, to collect their poll tax. This was a tax on every person living in a household and was to help pay for the ongoing war with France.
The peasants refused to pay, and their refusal spread to neighbouring villages in Kent and Essex. They had other grievances to put to the king, along the lines of removing serfdom and a fairer distribution of wealth. Ultimately a large body of protesters (60,000 to 100,000) marched to London, led by Wat Tyler, to protest to the young King Richard.
The protest ultimately failed, and Wat Tyler was executed. Many of the rebels were hung and the peasants conditions didn’t change.
Fast-forward to 1990 and the UK’s introduction of a similar scheme to replace the rates, which were based on how much a property was worth. The 1990 poll tax was based on a head count within a household, like the 1379 poll tax. It was seen as unfair and weighted heavily against the less well off.
Mass protests were organised, culminating in the poll tax riots of March 1990. The tax was due to be implemented that April. On March 31st, between 70,000 and 200,000 people demonstrated in Trafalgar Square against the tax. 113 people were injured, 340 arrested and over 100 police officers needed treatment.
