The phone number you have given out at the top is for a leading member of Globalise Resistance and the Socialist Workers Party.

As neither Globalise Resistance, the SWP or that person are organising the Assembly on Saturday and Sunday, perhaps you should ring the 'hosts' of the meeting, the Greater London Authority.

Phone number: (0044) 020 7983 4701

Alternatively, ring some of the other groups involved:

War on Want
Unison
CWU
Red Pepper
The Wombles
WDM
etc etc

This isn't sectarian, just trying to ensure that people realise that GR are not the organisers of the London ESF.

Is this the same Monbiot that is about to set up the Unity Coalition with the Socialist Alliance (SWP), MAB, Galloway, and various stalinsts and not-so left labourites? The coalition that will be contesting the Euro & local elections in 2004? The same guy who wants a world parliament, cos he believes in parliamentary democracy?
Now why does he want us all to go to the planning meet for the ESF in London in 2004? Remember that's the event being taken over by his chums the SWP and other stalinsts. Does he just want to legitimise the takeover with a veneer of democracy, and give added credibility to his new chums? Or does he think he can outflank his new trotskyite & stalinist mates, with our help? Either way, he's got a cheek to think he can use us in his petty little power games.
This middle class twit should go back to lecturing at Oxford/Cambridge. He is not to be trusted.

> Remember that's the event being taken over by his chums the SWP and other stalinsts.

Only if we let them. It's not too late. Don't give up without even trying.

the guy is a modern day Henry Hunt, and as for the rest... it seems to me the esf is being set up an attempt to eclipse the likes of the pga (people's global action), which has been instrumental in kick-starting the global movement against capitalism of recent times. i doubt you will find much recognition of that fact within the discourse of the esf. it's the same tiresome old story really, just as globalise resistance attempts to position itself (rhetorically anyway) at the 'forefront of the anti-capitalist movement', so the esf will pronounce itself an international movement, while the intrigues within will seek to muzzle those that are motivated by social justice and committed to direct action as a form of democratic participation. groups within the esf, such as the swp, have in the past attempted to involve themselves in the pga, but fortunately were rebuffed once their top-down approach to politics had been pointed out.

i have seen a lot of talk about how people with anti-authoritarian should involve themselves in the esf, in order to counter the authoritarian tendencies of the core groups. in my view they will be simply banging their heads against the proverbial. the history of attempted collaborations has been unproductive, if anything counter-productive. obviously the esf is going to go ahead, and i would say let it, but don't suppose that you can do anything to introduce any anarchic ideas into an a space that is already under the sway of authoritarian organisations. reactionaries are poor listeners. if you want to make contact with those who are 'new to the movement' i suggest you set up your own space, something more in keeping with diy culture and the real spirit of the anti-capitalist movement. and i suggest that indymedia should not serve as a platform the esf either, it's reactionary politics at its worst, the kind that masquerades as something progressive.