You're expecting to be called a trot. Why is that? You are in the SWP aren't you?

The ESF was hijacked by the authoritarian Left who blatantly flouted the founding principles of Porto Alegre.

The ESF 2004 was a celebration of capitalism, exploitation and cronyism. All those elements were central (just like the organising) to the sham that was ESF in London.

The WOMBLES and many others were prepared to make a stand against the crass commercialisation of ESF 2004, the oppressive policing supported by Livingstone and his authoritarian supporters such as yourself, and the exclusion of the very people you purport to care about - the working class.

The irony of attacking those who demanded a voice at the ESF on Indymedia may be lost on yourself but for many, including the Indymedia volunteers who were involved in reclaiming the stage, it won't be. The demands from independent journalists involved in the Indymedia project for answers to the questions we all still have about the theft of Indymedia hard disks remain. Without the anarchists intervention the subject would not have even been discussed at ESF 2004.

Excuse me for going over a little over the top, but this is, superb, very objective, rational, definitive and most of all, factual. The only significant omissions are the mass arrest and harassment of WOMBLES for purloining litter, and how Uncle Bulgaria was nicked by the Forward Intelligence Unit for flashing, on Wimbledon Common.

A long, in-depth, report, from you, on the anti-capitalist movement is now expected. Up to the task?

If you get any comments here saying: ‘I pissed my pants after reading this crap’, ignore them, they are probably just rude anarchists, or disaffected WOMBLES.

No, there's not any need for an SWP non-denial, it isn't that obvious why the SWP wouldn’t recruit complete wankers to those who are not comrades. If this last statement was a question, the answer can be either be yes or no.

Switching crticism from SWPers to the WOMBLES may not be as shrewd as first anticipated, but is resulting in WOMBLES getting name checked more than the SWP. Will that mean a WOMBLE in every town? Perhaps a tactical rethink activist? Hence my request for a positive exposition on the anti-capitalist movement to be posted here.

I was walking across Wimbledon common and accosted by a crowd of WOMBLES. Together, they shouted : "We have lost our way!".

It was raining heavily, so I took them home, and made them tea.

That's a well written article but unfortunately almost every point is logically or factually incorrect.

In the first place it wasn't simply the Wombles that invaded. There were 200 people, most of whom were not Wombles, but supported the action.

"the WOMBLES have purposely cut themselves off from the mass of the anti-war and anti-capitalist movement." I suspect the mass of the anti-capitalist movement were outside not inside the ESF. Livingstone is pro capitalist as are the SWP in all but word.

You say: "The reasons for storming the meeting were confused. A stated aim was to prevent Ken Livingstone from speaking - but he wasn't even at the meeting!" The reason he wasn't at the meeting was because of the protest - he didn't want to deal with it or be embarrassed so he pulled out.

"And to try and portray Livingstone as pro-war was ridiculous." He supported the Bosnian War and rejoined the Labour Party - the party of war. He is an asset to the party and may help them get re-elected so they can start more wars.

"He has ... organised another event for anti-war activists instead." His other event could be seen as pro war in the way that it could take people away from more effective forms of protest to simply passive marching or standing around ranting. Fortunately I don't think many people went.

"and treated other activists with contempt – as if we were all fat cat shareholders, enemies." What evidence is there of that? Reasoned arguments were announced and the meeting continued after everyone left voluntarily. Most of the people seemed to support the protest. And besides the whole meeting was an SWP thing anyway. As a cowardly, corrupt, odious, anti-democratic, parasitic cult the longer it was delayed the better IMO. The SWP are not part of the same movement as me and many others even though they like to pretend they are.

"The ESF didn't exclude the WOMBLES - they excluded themselves." Yeah, well again not just the Wombles. Many didn't get involved because it was impossible to take part in the decision making process in a fair and meaningful way. Not taking part in something because you're not being treated equally is the only way to maintain self respect and dignity.

"The WOMBLES seem to be incapable of working with anyone who doesn't wholeheartedly share their views." Not true - they managed to work with the myriad of groups that made up Beyond ESF, not to mention all the other people who stormed the ESF most of whom were not Wombles.

"The way to change views held by fellow activists is by reasoned argument, not by violence." The phrase Actions speak louder than words comes to mind. If the storming of the palace had not taken place this article would not be appearing here now.

All in all I thought the Storming of the Palace was probably the best thing that happened at the ESF. I thought it was great - and I'm nothing to do with the Wombles.

...YAWN....

I was with the group who entered that meeting and stormed the stage

I dont claim Ken Livingstone was pro-war in opinion but in action by default. I state that he has made a conscious decision to rejoin the most blood-thirsty, imperialist, authoritarian, racist political party to control Britain in a long time. He therefore legitimises their power and policies by his actions.

We did not impose our views on anyone. We claimed the right to take direct-action and intervene in what we considered to be a hijacking of the ESF, to uphold the principles of the WSF/ESF and make statements that otherwise would have never been said inside the ESF. One of these being the important issue of the Indymedia seizures.

If you think climbing onto a stage, making a speech and then leaving, only to be attacked and arrested by police outside is imposing our views then god knows what your anti-facist meeting was going to achieve with the nazis!!!! I wished it to be clear that I wholeheartedly denounced the organisation and running of the ESF as no different than any other neo-liberal/state capitalist conference.

I asked some of the catering workers (who by the way were shattered and on minimum wage) what they thought of the ESF and they told me that it was nothing but a 'fucking mess for (them) to clear up'. Please tell me which part of the ESF demonstrated an ability to move beyond capitalism and heirarchy? Was it the lack of recycling? The mess all over the floor? The expensive (and therefore exclusive) ticket price and food? Or the involvement of the state in organising the whole affair?! Did I miss something here?!!

I didnt see anyone get attacked (apart from me and our comraddes outside) so cannot really pass a comment on the 'attack on black and jewish' people. But I would suggest that many of you lot rushing to condemn the alleged attack are the same people who protest against laws which have 'got rid of the presumption of innocence'. So with a lack of any evidence (at least no-one has yet shown me any apart from the statement from Bennet himself) wheres the presumption of innocence??

And exactly what is authoritarian about claiming the right to take direct action and make a bloody speech?? If we'd forced people to agree I could see yer point but strangely enough it seemed that a fair amount agreed all by themselves!!

Personally, I love and respect the wombles and all the anti-authoritarian people who showed me support, encouragement, inclusion and the courage to confront the forces of capital and authority not only in the wider world but (perhaps more importantly) within our own 'movements'. The wombles are still one of the most inclusive, hard working, nice, caring, sociable, principled people I have ever had the privilige to fight alongside.

I support them, as well as anyone else who resists the temptation to condemn others without looking at ourselves and applying the same standards. This ESF been the boiling point of tensions and frustrations building over the last few years. This statement says it well: " there was a definite sense of having arrived at a Crossroads, that we are beginning to reproduce the same events and actions, year after year. I sensed nostalgia for the excitement and novelty of Genoa or Florence, and a distinct lack of ability to envision an alternative path. Perhaps it is time to let go, and reinvent the forum as something entirely new."

In solidarity, love and rage.

 http://radio.indymedia.org/news/2004/10/2776.php

The attack on the platform by those masked assailants was a big mistake,one that many commmentators still do not seem to realise ,possibly because of their hatred for socialists.
If it wasn't a mistake those masked guys who so bravely punched their way onto the platform should hang their heads in shame ....after all the whole point of opposing the fascists is to.......oppose the fascists because of the horror they will bring...attacking other anti fascists at one of the largest anti racist meetings ever held in europe is a bit self defeating.cut out the masked stuff!
bella ciao

The WOMBLES have been very connected to the international movement of what I saw at the Beyond ESF event :-)
Probably not the authors part of the movement, but will keep forever dear in my heart of what I experienced at the Beyond ESF events and the squats, activist homes and projects I was invited to stay at.

I think the "storming of the stage" was a terrific and a very successfull event.

And what ever is and will be written about it, it can never be undone. it is an historic moment and an historic action dennouncing the superiority, discrimination and manipulation of the Socialist Parties at this current state of time in the protest movement. It is a warning, too, for all the future Social Forum that these have to be organised differently or they will fail to connect with the basis and be much more of a spectacle and show organised for spectators rather than an experiment to implement a new participatory utopia.
Of course, there will be a lot of discussion about it, and that is very very good.
And the course of how the discussion is lead will be very significant for the future, too.
So far, the Socialist Parties and their symapthisers have tried to discredit the grassroots rather than take up the underlying issue and causes.
They repeatedly try to convince everybody how successfull their one party show ESF was. But they can never achieve this. This action will last forever and expose their lies about their so-called "success" by domination and discrimination forever.

Their inability to evaluate themselves and change will lead to their ineffectivity, superficiality and unimportance in the social movements in the next 10- 15 years, as already seen on the continent with similar parties.

"I thought the Storming of the Palace was probably the best thing that happened at the ESF." - Sectarian

I had to read this twice, such was my disbelief at the sectarianism.

Good to see the undemocratic, non-participative, top-down sect left making use of open publishing!
Trouble is you can never distort the truth and use Indymedia for your own selfish instrumental ends.
People will always take issue with your deceptive lies on forums like this.

This isn't a ridiculous podium at one of your closed meetings or a stage you've hijacked by excluding dissenting voices - this is Indymedia and long may it work to contest your lies and propaganda!

It's a shame that you haven't embraced open publishing on your own web sites and forums. Perhaps the sect like control over your members would be completely compromised if you did...

If anyone else is in doubt of what happened watch the video again and again.

Notice the dark forces behind the first post haven't got any supporting evidence.

Where's your video?

Where's your evidence?

Fuck me - the quality of posting in terms of analysis and accuracy just keeps on getting worse doesn't it.

We have the faux naiveity, in-fighting and cowardly lies, and mainly written by people who cannot get off their arse and actually change things by FIGHTING FOR WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

Or is it just a lifestyle option???? Who give a flying fuck whether anybody would throw shit or darts at Ken Livingstone or not. ( Myself I could only hope top score 180 : ) )

Pathetic.

Fiddle ( or in this case post ) and watch Rome (sic ) burn eh? Join an NGO and you could be quids in with the status quo!!!!

Wipe this post along with the rest of the TRIPE. Perhaps you need a stricter editorial policy as this is NOT WORKING.

Sorry Indymedia chums, most of the posters here do not seem to have any RESPECT for the HARD WORK you do and relentlessly post inaccurate whinging LIBERAL CRAP!!!!!!!!!

... hair.

TIMEWASTER: by your own definition, you are, yourself, a very bad timewaster. So beat yourself up.

After 2 days wandering the isolated reaches of Wimbledon Common and losing their way, persued by the Forward Intelligence (sic) Unit of the Metropolitan Police - refreshed by a cups of sweet tea from an kind old lady who took a shine to them and spirited them off to her home - the WOMBLES have found their way again.

So lets have a musical celebration:

1,2,3,4

Remember your a WOMBLE. Remember your a WOMBLE. Remember your a WOMBLE. oooohhh

And you madam, and you sir, and you, and you ... and all the children .. and love to the
world

We'll all be WOMBLES one day, cleaningg up the mess after capitalism.




Start by tidying up you own fking mess, and not getting slave labour to do it at an ESF.