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French networks statement about the ESF events

m | 22.10.2004 23:51 | European Social Forum | Repression

A statement from French organisationsabout the ESF condeming the police interference and the GLA/SWP.

Statement of Solidarity for those arrested and violated by the Police and slandered by the GLA and SWP at the ESF in London
Agir ensemble contre le chômage, Droit au Logement, No Vox network

(En solidarité avec les camarades arrêtes par la police et calomniés par la GLA et le SWP
Agir ensemble contre le chômage, Droit au Logement, No Vox network: french version below)


We utterly condemn the violence of the Police towards our comrades at the European Social Forum and are deeply disturbed by the letter of Lee Jasper of the GLA, written to the Guardian, in which he infers that those "white anarchists", had intervened in the plenary on racism and fascism in which Ken Livingstone was due to speak and attacking black and Jewish speakers, by Alex Callinicos who states that this same group were those who arrived at the rally after the demonstration attacking "mainly women and young people, many of them people of colour."

Those protesters that went to the plenary at Alexandra palace on Saturday wanted to denounce the participation of Ken Livingstone in the seminar on racism Fascism ( in the end he didn¹t show up) The fact that he has recently rejoined New Labour, the war party, a party whose racist policies are undermining Britain¹s basic commitments to human rights protection conventions, a party whose constant misrepresentation of asylum seekers and migrants as a threat, as well as the endless legislation against the rights of refugees and migrants have helped to create an atmosphere in Britain which has nurtured support for the far right and the BNP .

Concerning the events at the end of the demonstration on Sunday; as some activists had been illegally arrested at Kings Cross, and prevented from attending the demonstration, they naturally felt it important to inform the rally of their comrades' situation. So they attempted but were prevented to go on the stage to do so.

In no way is the accusation of racism against them justified. On the 14th of October these same "white anarchists" occupied the passport control at Waterloo station, to denounce racist immigration controls and to demand freedom of movement for all.

The efforts to exclude people of a differing opinion from the platform at the ESF have been a consistently unwelcome feature of the ESF process throughout the preparatory meetings and indeed during the event itself. These problems have been caused by the refusal of the organisers to allow dissenting voices to be heard or listened to from the outset. It is a fact that Free speech and decision-making have been mainly the preserve of those organising and controlling the event, the SWP, GLA, and SA. If this exclusion has lead to conflict then it is their responsibility. The despicable attempts of certain of the ESF organisers to discredit and demonise those who put forward criticism are completely unacceptable.

The violence that has to be denounced is that of the omnipresent police which prevented people going to the demo and intimidated and harassed demonstrators all weekend. We denounce these arbitrary arrests

- We demand that all charges relating to the arrest of our comrades are dropped (disorderly conduct, assaulting a police officer, obstruction of a police officer, using threatening words & behaviour...)

- We denounce the lies and slander being made against them by the GLA and the SWP

We hope that those who will decide the future political direction of the ESF in Paris in December will take account of the many voices of dissent to avoid any repetition of the exclusion experienced by so many groups and individuals during this year¹s ESF.

Agir ensemble contre le chômage, Droit au Logement, No Vox network

///////////////////////////////////////////////////
Nous condamnons avec force les violences policières commises contre nos camarades lors du Forum Social européen de Londres, et sommes profondément choqués par la lettre envoyée au Guardian par Lee Jasper, de l¹autorité londonienne (GLA), dans laquelle il affirme que des « anarchistes blancs » ont attaqué lors d¹une plénière sur les questions de racisme et d¹anti-fascisme des orateurs noirs et juifs. Nous condamnons aussi les propos d¹ Alex Callinicos qui prétend que ces mêmes anarchistes blancs se seraient précipités sur la scène après la manifestation de dimanche, s¹attaquant « à des femmes, des jeunes gens, dont beaucoup étaient des personnes de couleur ».

Les manifestants qui ont investi Alexandra Palace samedi voulaient dénoncer l¹intervention de Ken Livingstone dans la plénière en question (il ne s¹y est finalement pas rendu.) Ce dernier vient en effet de rejoindre le parti travailliste, le parti de la guerre, dont les politiques racistes constituent des attaques constantes contre les droits de l¹homme, et criminalisent les demandeurs d¹asile et les migrants. Les lois récentes ont été autant d¹attaques contre les droits des réfugiés en Grande-Bretagne, et ont permis le développement de l¹extrême droite et du BNP (British National Party.)

Quant aux incidents concernant la fin de la manifestation de dimanche, alors que des militants avaient été arrêtés à King¹s Cross ­car, rejoignant la manifestation, ils portaient des banderoles anticapitalistes-, leurs camarades ont voulu investir la scène pour informer l¹ensemble des manifestants de ces arrestations. En aucun cas les accusations de racisme portées à leur encontre ne sont justifiées : rappelons que ces « anarchistes blancs », ont organisé le jeudi 14 octobre l¹occupation de la zone de contrôle d¹identité à la gare de Waterloo, pour dénoncer les contrôles migratoires et revendiquer la liberté de circulation pour tous.

Tout au long du processus du FSE, contrôlé par le Socialist Workers Party, la Great London authority, et Socialist Action, les organisations ou réseaux britanniques exprimant des points de vue divergents ont été exclus. Les tentatives calomnieuses de certains organisateurs du FSE visant à criminaliser ceux qui ont voulu faire voir et entendre leurs critiques sont proprement inadmissibles. Si cette exclusion a pu conduire à des gestes quelque peu violents de dénonciation, les responsables sont ceux qui ont exclu, ci-dessus nommés.

Quant à la violence qui doit être dénoncée, c¹est celle de la police, omniprésente, qui a empêché des militants de se rendre à la manifestation, et qui a procédé à des arrestations injustifiées.

- Nous dénonçons ces arrestations arbitraires et exigeons l¹abandon des poursuites contre les camarades arrêtés (parmi lesquelles atteinte à l¹ordre public, violences à officiers de police, langage et attitude menaçants, vol d¹un casque de police)
- Nous dénonçons aussi vigoureusement les mensonges et les calomnies portées à leur encontre par la mairie et le SWP.

Nous souhaitons que soient prises en compte, en décembre, lors de la discussion à Paris des orientations politiques du FSE, les critiques et les voix de dissensus pour que les pratiques d¹exclusion soient clairement abolies.

Agir ensemble contre le chômage, Droit au Logement, No Vox network

m

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