As the comrade said in the report, one demonstration by itself is only a stepping stone towards our shared goal of freedom for Palestine. But, as the tanks move further into Gaza even as I write, so will the determination harden of all those who stand on the side of justice and humanity. I have been to some demonstrations in the past that seemed to finish even as they had just started, or ones which felt more like a day trip than a protest. This was no such demonstration. The spirit of defiance and determination on the demonstration today were palpable and inspirational. Speakers on the open microphone were welcomed onto the platform with chanting from fellow protesters. I was particularly inspired by the opening speech from a member of the Palestinian community, which emphasised the need for absolute solidarity with the Palestinian right to resistance in their struggle for self determination against colonial occupation. It was also great to see such a truly open microphone, where all were welcome to express their views and credit should be given to the compere from Palestine Solidarity Campaign who did a great job at ensuring democracy. I left the demonstration feeling sure that I will meet many of my fellow protesters again as we struggle together to build an anti-imperialist movement in solidarity with Palestine.

Victory to the third intifada!
Freedom for Palestine

sorry, but what has communists got anything to do with this? are they just jumping on the bandwagon.

...OF AN EVENT THAT THEY ORGANISED?

Yesterdays protest was organised by the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG), the Victory to The Intifada Campaign (VTI), was accommodated by the Rock Around the Blockade Campaign (RATB) [who had originally arranged an event at the same location from 12noon - 16.00 and who's sound system the event took grateful advantage of] as well as the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign amongst others; if that is "jumping on the band wagon" then I wish more people would do it.

The Victory To the Intifada campaign (VTI) was set up in 2000 at the beginning of the Second Intifada by the Revolutionary Communist Group.

The aim of the campaign is to Boycott Israeli Goods and to raise awareness of the economic links between British business and Israeli Apartheid and build economic pressure on Israel to end its illegal occupation of Palestine. The VTI aim to get people active on Britain's streets in solidarity with the Palestinian people and their national liberation struggle.

The VTI call on the public to:

• Demand that British companies stop supporting Israel’s brutal occupation and apartheid by selling Israeli goods and goods made by companies directly involved in the destruction of Palestinian land, lives and livelihoods.

• Demand that the British Government stops supporting and funding Israeli apartheid racism.

• Support the M & S pickets. There is a demonstration every Thursday, 6 – 8 pm outside Marks & Spencer’s flagship store on Oxford Street (Marble Arch end), London. There are also regular pickets in Newcastle and Manchester.

I would like to compare that with the nothing that I suspect the Communist basher haS contributed over the past 10 years.

I don't know if you listened to the speakers at the protest yesterday but I did and I particularly remember a comrade from the RCG making specific links between the capitalist, imperialist, zionist and the racist Labour Party (that also attacks asylum seekers, refugees, economic migrants and lower working class people) and it's support of capitalist, imperialist, zionist, apartheid and racist Israel whilst contrasting that with the solidarity that Communists in Socialist Cuba unswervingly provide the Palestinian national liberation struggle.

I quote the comrade, "What has Socialist Cuba got to do with Palestine? The Cuban government was amongst the first to express outright condemnation of the Israeli attacks on Gaza and against the illegal blockade imposed by Israel - a blockade that Cuba understands all too well..."

The comrade continued, "Cuba and Palestine are linked in struggle against imperialism. Che flags and t-shirts are a common sight in the occupied Palestinian territories [those pesky Communists again], a symbol of resistance and freedom. Equally, in Cuba the Palestinian people are considered as brothers and sisters and their history is studied in depth by all Cuban children. Cuba also provides concrete solidarity to Palestine. On a brigade [to Cuba] last year I met some Palestinian medical students who were studying for free thanks to the Socialist government. Their specialism was artificial limb technology, which highlights the barbarity of the situation imposed by Israel, such that the medical resources that Palestine has must be focussed, not on extending peoples lives or ensuring good health, but repairing the human carnage do by the Israeli occupation. Unsurprisingly, Israel consistently votes in the UN to maintain the world wide US blockade on Cuba."

The comrade then exposed the constructed left wing myth [some of them were there yesterday] of "old" Labour and "new" Labour - a myth spun by opportunists, "The Labour Party has been a zionist party since its 1944 conference called for the establishment of a Jewsish state in Palestine."

The comrade highlighted how Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are members of the 'Labour Friends of Israel' group and how, "From 1997 - 2006 the British Labour government granted standard individual export licences to Israel valued at a total of £113 million" She poigniantly added, "Whilst Socialist Cuba exports doctors and teachers, Capitalist Britain exports instruments of repression." In other words instruments of human carnage; instruments used to torture and murder.

The comrade drove the Communist analysis firmly home, "Next week four activists from Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! [news paper of the Revolutionary Communist Group] will appear in court to appeal a fine of £1,800 for accepting donations at a street meeting [to prevent the deportation to Turkey of a Kurdish woman and her three children]. Last week three Palestinians were killed and 9 injured for demonstrating in the West Bank against the attacks on Gaza. This is in addition to those 428 people killed and over 2000 injured in Gaza itself. In Britain we live in an imperialist country. Our privilege depends on the exploitation and oppression of millions around the world. Our freedoms are inextricably linked to their lack of freedom. That is why democracy here is not just something to be thankful of, rather it is our duty to use the greater freedom we have here in Britain to struggle against imperialism from its heartland. Israel could not survive without the support of US and British imperialism. In order to fight the occupation of Palestine we need to fight British imperialism. And in order to to this we need to get organised, get educated and get on the streets to build a movement in solidarity with all those struggling against imperialism. Let today be just the start."

That is not jumping on the band wagon - it is building one.

As write this, the the tanks and soldiers of Zionist murderers roll into Palestine; instead of using our priviledged freedoms sniping and sneering from the galleries with unsophisticated Communist bashing, true progressives should building a bottom up, grass roots movement to fight racism and fight imperialism. Banal bleeting about 'comrades jumping on bandwagons' is of no help to the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people.

VICTORY TO THE THIRD INTIFADA!

FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM!

the palestian people tried to chant then the psc would speak making people stop and listen

BUT the part that pissed me off most was inviting the fucking labour part to have a speaker
FOR FUCK SAKES

u invite a speaker from the party which is helping the Israelites to kill all the palestians
it made me fucking sick

the psc frfi rcg swp are all up the arse of the labour party
THEY ALL SUPORT THE LABOUR PARTY

FUCK THE RCG
FUCK THE SWP
FUCK THE PSC
FUCK FRFI

by the way the fuck was there a cuban flag there WHAT THE FUCK DOSE CUBA HAVE TO DO WITH PALESTINE


ANARCHY is the only option

"...by the way why the fuck was there a cuban flag there. WHAT THE FUCK DOSE CUBA HAVE TO DO WITH PALESTINE ?!" Was the question yelled in a banshee-like wail by the previous poster that clealry had not read the post by Stone Soup or listened to the speach made by a speaker from the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) and their newspaper, FIGHT RACISM! FIGHT IMPERIALISM! (FRFI) at the demo' on 03/01/2009.

Anarchists are posturing clowns.

Silent Anarchist was not so silent when it came to purile chanting and clearly has no idea what he/she is talking about.

Unfortunately because of people like the not-so-silent anarchist, the democratic rights of some Communists who try to alert the public to British imperilaism and racism have come under attack in recent years. Sadly, as can be seen in the above repugnant spittle sodden rant by an anarchist we seem to be witness yet again to sinister attempts by these forces of regression at silencing the Revolutionary Communist Group and their newspaper, Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism!

What ever the form of censorship, where ever the attack on free speech comes from – it must be opposed. Communist activists and their supporters who work extremely hard administering on an accountable level within groups like the RCG and their news paper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! such as TCAR, VTI - particularly the newspaper Fight Racism! Fight Imperialism! which has a complete back page dedicated to informing and updating on the daily struggles of the Palestinians and asylum seekers and as well as those asylum seekers and refugees being held in prisons and detention centres throughout Britain with every one of its bi-monthly publications - need the solidarity of truly progressve people in order to build a working class movenent that is bottom up, not top down; one that is grounded in concrete reality, not some fuzzy idea that an anarchist has dreamt up in their head. This of course is at odds with many anarchists that seem to think that they are living in a "movie" of their own wonderfulness; serious political activism isn't about chanting empty slogans or chasing cop vans about town, riding to the rescue like a bandana wearing cavalry. What ever camp they choose to squat in, whether upper working class/ lower middle class social democrat or anarcist posturers through skulduggery and belligerence and attempts at conniving bellicose censorship that would make any true progressive simply want to weep or the capitalist state by tip-toe with the use of archaic by-laws/the judiciary/the police; they only do so in order to protect their 'own' privilege, power and influence; these are the real threat to grass roots movements. Anyone can look radical but many are simply swaggering, simian semi-embecile's lsuch as the NF or the prattish not-so-silent anarchist (who's swagger is not too disimilar to the NF).

The not-so-silent anarchist clearly did not listen to the comrade from the RCG speak at the demo', possibly because they did not attand or was not silent. If they did attend or attended but did not listen or even worse did attend and did listen, they are either too stupid or too wicked to be telling others how to go about building a grass roots movement. The RCG has a clear analysis of the likes of the opportunist Socialist Workers Party, Alliance for Workers Liberty, Workers Power, Socialist Party, RESPECT and of course Labour left celebreties like Benn, Corbin et al. Indeed, at a recent TCAR demo' RCG comrades chanted "Immigration is no crime! LOCK UP LABOUR!!" Breathtakingly, this offended some people - to which the response was that it was ridiculous for anyone to think that its is totally inappropriate to be exposing Labour Party support for capitalism, imperliasm, zionism, Israeli appartheid and racism at an anti-racist demonstration. Labour lefts and their supporters in the SWP, Socialist Party, middle class liberals etc, have seemed very upset in the past at this exposure, and have made every effort short of physical violence to shut down and drown out what the Revolutionary Communist Group are saying.

Read on..

"Unquestioning defence of British imperialism; contempt for the rights of the oppressed; abhorrence for the poor, these were the hallmarks of Labour in 1900 as much as they are today. Yet the left has spun illusions in the Labour Party for as long as it has existed. Fearing the mass of the real working class, those whom are excluded from the official labour and trade union movement, they have pretended that the election of a Labour government would make a difference. They said this in 1983, in 1987, in 1992, again in 1997. They have fooled only themselves. Blair's government is what Blair promised it would be – imperialist, racist, pro-big business and deeply oppressive. The continuity with its early years is a fact, as we shall see.


Labour has always been a racist, imperialist and war-mongering party.


Between 1925 and 1931:

• It sanctioned the use of the RAF to bomb unarmed Kurdish villagers in 1925;

• It used the RAF once again in the brutal suppression of the Indian freedom struggle between 1929-31;


Between 1945 and 1951 Labour:

• Committed British troops to aid the restoration of French colonial rule in Viet Nam and Dutch rule in Indonesia;

• Continued military intervention in Greece against the ELAS, and blockaded Iran following the nationalisation of the British-owned Anglo-Persian Oil Company;

• Ruthlessly exploited the British empire in Africa to aid post-war reconstruction in Britain – The NHS for example.

• It saw no offence to its socialist principles in using head-hunters in a murderous war against Malayan freedom fighters in 1949-51;




Between 1964 and 1970, it:

• Defended apartheid South Africa, blocking calls for sanctions in the UN. It capitulated to the racist settler regime in the former Rhodesia;

• In 1969 it sent troops into the north of Ireland to bolster the tottering Loyalist statelet, and then between 1975 and 1979 supervised a regime of torture and criminalisation directed against the nationalist minority;

•Terrorised the Irish community in Britain, (as it does now with the Muslim community);

• Was responsible for the routine torture of suspected freedom fighter detainees in Aden;

• It gave slavish support for the US war against Vietnam from 1964-70 and to Zionist aggression against the Arab people in 1967;

• Under Tony Benn’s (Labour left celebrity) guidance, it approved RTZ’s illegal plunder of Namibian uranium in 1968 ;


Between 1974 and 1979, it:

• Implemented a ruthless regime of torture against republican prisoners in the North of Ireland.

• It supported the Shah of Iran right to the last days of his regime in 1979 because his regime was the biggest purchaser of British arms;

• In 1978 it sold Hawk jet fighters to the Indonesian Suharto dictatorship which were then used in the genocide of the people of East Timor.


Throughout its periods in government in the 1960s and 1970s it supported all forms of immigration controls.


Whilst in opposition from 1979, ‘Real Labour’:

• Supported the Tories against the Irish hunger-strikers in 1981;

• In the same summer, it supported the racist police against the uprisings of black and white youth;

• The following year, it supported war against Argentina over the Malvinas;

• In 1984-85, it betrayed the struggle of the miners and helped destroy their working class communities;

• In 1990, tin pot generals such as Kaufman and Kinnock bayed for blood in the first war against Iraq.


During the first imperialist war, the great revolutionary Rosa Luxemburg condemned international social democracy as a 'stinking corpse' for its support for the mass slaughter. She was right. But even before 1914 the Labour Party did not play a progressive role – that was never its intent. Its formation depended on the defeat and isolation of socialists and the political exclusion of the mass of the working class in favour of a privileged upper layer and its middle class allies. With the triumph of the revolution in Russia and the threat that its promise of colonial liberation presented to the British Empire, Labour became the principle organiser of reaction within the international working class movement. Labour in 2000, Labour in 1900: they are both the same. " Part of an article in Fight Racism! Figh Imperialism! (exact date unknown, circa 2000).

If anyone needs help in understanding why Trot groups are bad news for the anti-war movement they should read the above comment by citizen sputnik. You could probably boil a kettle on that guy's head.

As a member of the RCG - which I feel it's necessary for clarity to make clear that Stone Soup/Citizen Sputnik is not, although we appreciate his support - I think we need unity of ALL revolutionary forces, whether they call themselves communists, anarchists, or whatever. On crucial issues here it seems ourselves and Silent Anarchist are in full agreement - the need for democracy in the movement, the need to oppose efforts to limit or restrain the militancy of actions, and the need for a complete break with the Labour Party. We need to unite in action on these issues rather than tarring whole sections of the left with the actions of particular groups or individuals, which unfortunately I feel both Silent Anarchist and Citizen Sputnik do in their posts here, whether assuming that the RCG is no different from the SWP or assuming that all anarchists are no different from those who have attempted to silence the RCG in the past. The forces engaged in the kind of actions which Silent Anarchist refers to, which threaten to undermine every movement in this country which shows real potential, pose too great a threat for revolutionaries to be divided in this way.

Finally just to clarify one point, the Labour Councillor was not on the platform, he spoke on the open mic, as anyone at the rally was free to do. I hope next time Silent Anarchist will speak up at the event itself and use the open mic to make his/her points.

Firstly, Stone Soup/Citizen Sputnik is not a "Trot", he is a Marxists-Leninist. I would attempt at explaining the difference to Simian Imbecile but i really do not want to lend credence to his/her post by honouring it with a lengthy response. However, i do find the idea that insinuating that Stone Soup/Citizen Sputnik was angry when he made his posts changes the factual substance of the points raised. Whether points are made in serenity or anger - facts are still facts. I know because i am Stone Soup/Citizen Sputnik and i can assure you i was quite calm when making my posts; although i understand that i have somehow cultivated a particular reputation for violence and aggression that i still find completely bewildering.

I always point out in my posts that i am not a member of the RCG - on this occasion - in error - i did not - and apologies for any embarrassment i might have caused, though i am relieved that my support is appreciated.

I highlight the opportunistic role of the Labour Party and far left groups in England. Of course i am not saying that every single member of these parties/groups etc is a conniving opportunist - for example, there are some perfectly decent people in the Labour Party and in the far left parties/groups i mention - what i was highlighting was the divisive role they they play at an organisational level - which is why I agree that unity is important and make the point on a number of occasions; at the end of the Stone Soup post i say, " As I write this, the tanks and soldiers of Zionist murderers roll into Palestine; instead of using our privileged freedoms sniping and sneering from the galleries with unsophisticated Communist bashing, true progressives should be building a bottom up, grass roots movement to fight racism and fight imperialism. Banal bleeting about 'comrades jumping on bandwagons' is of no help to the heroic struggle of the Palestinian people. " OK, i am addressing an individual there but that could easily be aimed at a group/party at an organisational level. Other than that, i agree with what Tom says about Silent Anarchist and his/her views "...about the need for democracy in the movement, the need to oppose efforts to limit or restrain the militancy of actions, and the need for a complete break with the Labour Party. We need to unite in action on these issues rather than tarring whole sections of the left with the actions of particular groups or individuals, which unfortunately I feel both Silent Anarchist and Citizen Sputnik do in their posts." In order to do that Tom, we must highlight the roles that certain individuals or groups at an organisational level play - that was what i was attempting to do, even if i did not do so clearly.

I wasn't attempting to tar whole sections of the left in the sense that i was claiming that every single individual in the various parties/groups on the left all share the same analysis, i was trying to highlight the roles that these parties/groups can and do ultimately play at an organisational level - if that is tarring them, then so be it. I think you just did the same Tom when you said in Agreement with Silent Anarchist, "...[that you agree with] the need to oppose efforts to limit or restrain the militancy of actions, and the need for a complete break with the Labour Party. We need to unite in action on these issues..." I suppose it depends what you mean by that. I myself have no qualms in attacking the role of the Labour Party, the police and certain groups on the left. I think it is important to understand and recognise that and if naming certain individuals on occasion, particularly when addressing their specific points on a discussion board - and that is what this is - helps to drive the point home, then so be it.

I did say in my Citizen Sputnik post, "Anarchists are posturing clowns." OK, that is a generalisation. However, that generalisation is based on concrete experiences with a number of anarchists in both Newcastle and Leeds, two large cities several hundred miles apart. Those are my only experiences and i cannot help but be influenced by them but still, point taken - it was a huge generalisation. Other than that, as i say above, "I have no qualms in attacking the role of the Labour Party, the police and certain groups on the left. I think it is important to understand and recognise that and if naming certain individuals on occasion, particularly when addressing their specific points on a discussion board - and that is what this is - helps to drive the point home, then so be it."

Just to be clear, i post using pseudonyms because i imagine that these sites are monitored by the authorities - it was not cowardice and i think other people do the same. For example, I don't believe Simian Imbecile is really called Simian Imbecile, although i do believe that he/she is a Simian Imbecile.

Finally, i can assure everyone i was perfectly calm when writing this post and that placing a tea pot on my head or a raw egg would not have helped in the making of any one's lunch.

"I did say in my Citizen Sputnik post, "Anarchists are posturing clowns." OK, that is a generalisation. However, that generalisation is based on concrete experiences with a number of anarchists in both Newcastle and Leeds".

Ah right, and of course the Trots who populate these cities are making triumphant strives towards revolution, right? right? Or maybe not. Maybe they're more interested in selling their shitty newspapers and trying to recruit people into their godawful organisations.

And please, stop embarrassing yourselves FRFI by trying to glorify that Stalinist shithole known as Cuba. It just makes you look like an ever bigger joke.

I would like to compare the achievements of Che in changing the world by his deeds and inspiration with the purile post above.

"Geordie" Anarcho's post was an example of political cowardice.

A common refrain by the enemies of Cuba - and it would seem the "anarchists" that have posted what appear to be quite immature messages on this message board - is that Cuba is Stalinist, (though i do not see what a caribean island has to so with Stalin in Eastern Europe).

If my history serves me correctly, did Trotsky not end his life with an ice opick buried in his brain, an ice pick that was put there by Stalinist agents?

Can someone please explain how Cuba and supporters of Cuba can be both Trotskyist and Stalinist at the same time?

Accusing supporters of Cuba and Cuba itself as being both Stalinist and Trotskyist is very contradictory as well as cliched and demonstrates an awful understanding of historical fact and politics.

Also, should we not be discussing Palestine instead of making base insults about Cuba?

Thankyou.

Whatever our politics how we face the ever escalating situation will be telling. The unity communists have is powerful but the chains of command are not. We all need to be leaders. We have no weapons, Guevara and co. had weapons, the Palestinians have weapons, we have newspapers and zines

Some really good points raised, unfortunatly spoilt in places by people calling themselves anarchists

Tom - you gently chastise Dean for tarring whole sections of the left but is that not what you are doing when you call for a complete break from the Labour Party and others? Are the Labour Party and others not a huge sections of the left themselves?

I think my questions are really the points that Dean was getting at in explaining his Stone Soup/Citizen Sputnik posts.

This has been really good knock about stuff!

After a really productive organising meeting last night, which was attended by around 25-30 people from many different backgrounds and political persuasions, we are building for the following programme of events over the next week (and have a whole load more ideas we didn't even get chance to discuss fully!).

The meeting agreed on the importance of open discussion and democracy in how we organise, and that people should be free to join in with organising and actions which they want to support without everyone having to agree on every action. Feel free to get involved or to let us know of your own events in the area if you want us to help spread the word. If you are able to print off and distribute any of the attached flier/poster at:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2009/01/417428.html to put up in local shops/community centres/etc, or to give to friends, that would be a big help:

Thursday 8th January, 4.30-5pm, Gateshead Civic Centre
Women in Black action outside inter-faith service for those killed in Mumbai and Gaza
The women who are organising this would very much like to get in touch with women who have taken part in Women in Black activities in the past, or who would be interested in doing so. If you're interested in getting involved just let us know and we can put you in touch.

Thursday 8th January, 6-8pm, Northumberland Street, Newcastle
Picket of Marks and Spencer, biggest British corporate sponsor of Israel
Followed by banner-making session for Saturday protests

Saturday 10th January, London
National March
Please book places URGENTLY:
Email:  stopthewarcoalition@gmail.com
Phone: 0771 994 6814
Coaches from Tyneside £25 waged, £10 unwaged

Saturday 10th January, 12noon, Grey's Monument, Newcastle
Protest for those unable to make it to London, With street theatre, open mic, protest and hurling of shoes at images of British and Israeli government leaders.

Sunday 11th January, 7pm, venue to be confirmed
Next organising meeting. We will propose at the PSC meeting on Wednesday that we have this as a joint meeting of all people in Newcastle wanting to take action in solidarity with Gaza, and to continue having meetings like this on a weekly basis.

End the attacks on Gaza!
Free Palestine!

What the fuck have they done on the streets? They stopped their pickets and stalls about Palestine years ago! They're just jumping on the bandwagon... fucking lying middle class kids; like all socialists...they can't even agree on a name FRFI? RCG? Make your pathetic minds up.

PS
AND NO! I'M NOT AN ANARCHIST!!

Crickey. As you feel so strongly, hope to see you there chucking your footwear at images of Bush instead of abuse at the hard working young men and women of the RCG and their newspaper FRFI - I've got a pair of cherry red Doc Martins I wouldn't mind aiming in the direction of Bush's head.

Thanks for the article added near the top of the page entitled:

"From the head of the Hamas Policital Bureau"

Thanks Dean, i felt uplifted when i read that :-)

xx

I've just been told that there is also going to be a Women in Black Vigil for Gaza at the Monument this Saturday from 12noon. So it sounds like there's going to be a lot of people in central Newcastle this Saturday with a wide range of actions to get involved in, all in solidarity with the people of Gaza. Come out and join us!

12noon - Grey's Monument, Newcastle - Saturday 10th January 2009
End the massacre! End the siege! Free Palestine!