Anti-war groups vow to bring Britain to a halt

by Brian Cahill - Socialist Party Fri Mar 07, 2003 01:13

Obviously neither of the comments above are from me.

by Paul Kinsella - Irish Anti War Movement Wed Mar 05, 2003 19:26 paulkinsella53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Eire 087-9748511

Why can't you answer questions civily SP?

by Dan Wed Mar 05, 2003 15:07

Would the real BC please stand up. If he's already standing, the SP is way worse than I thought.

by Brian Cahill - SP Wed Mar 05, 2003 14:57

It would take a cretin like Kinsella to propose actions which would inconvenience workers. This would make it more unlikely that workers strike action take place.

by Brian Cahill - SP Wed Mar 05, 2003 12:06

Marchs and other actions must be built, but only workers action can stop the war. No blockades of companies, plants, offices or Airports should take place.

It is only through the action of the workers inside those concerns that we can succeed. Ultra leftist calls for blockades must be resisted.

by xConorx Tue Mar 04, 2003 19:56 xconorx at hotmail dot com Belfast

There should be mass action - protests, marches, strikes, walkouts, occupations, blockades and more direct actions to make the decision makers aware that things won't go on as normal while they are off bombing people into piles of rubble.

They need to know that we won't lie down and pretend this is not happening - that we will instead be active, using everything we have to make it as difficult as possible for them to be compliant in the insanity.

by SP Watcher Tue Mar 04, 2003 15:00

That's fine, Ken and you are entitled to your opinion but you shouldn't portray it as the position of the Socialist Party. The SP has a policy of evaluating each proposed direct action in its context and on its merits. Apart from being amongst the vocal proponents of strike action against the war, they also support civil disobedience tactics.

From "The Socialist", the paper of your equivalents in England and Wales:

"To build a movement that can derail Bush and Blair's 'war on terror' we need to link the case against the war to all the other issues that make working-class people angry against New Labour and the capitalist system they uphold. If a war starts, it is only through sustained, organised mass civil disobedience - winning the support of wide sections of the working-class in Britain, including stoppages and strikes - that it could be stopped."

From the front page demands of this issue of "The Voice":

"Build mass protests and civil disobedience to stop the war".

You are right to suggest that the Socialist Party wouldn't be in favour of the more lunatic end of the actions proposed in the article at the top, but you are completely wrong to argue that they are always opposed to direct action apart from strikes.

by Paul Kinsella - Workers Party/CPSU An Post/IAWM etc, etc Tue Mar 04, 2003 14:54 paulkinsella53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove, Santry, Dublin 9, Eire 087-9748511

Just got this message in my mailbox. Couldn't have come at a better time in this debate. This sets out the Anti war actions in plain black and white.

LaborAgainstWar@yahoogroups.com

Message: 6
Date: Mon, 3 Mar 2003 08:10:15 -0500
From: NYCLAW
Subject: URGENT ACTION: London Statement For Intl. Antiwar Action

Press release

Global anti war movement announces plans to escalate resistance.

On Saturday March 1 representatives from the anti war movement from 26
countries and three continents met together in London to plan the next
steps in the world campaign against war on Iraq.

All countries reported rapidly growing opposition, and the meeting
mapped
out a plan of escalating action over the next weeks to try to stop war,
including student occupations, mass direct action, strikes and popular
assemblies against war. (See statement below)

If war starts the meeting called on the movements across the world to
organise mass protests on the day of an attack in every town and city
and
mass demonstrations in every capital city the following Saturday.

Chris Nineham 07930 536 519
Andrew Burgin 07939 242 229
Stop the War Coalition

Statement issued by the London Meeting of the international
coordination
against war

March 1st 2003

Following the unprecedented success of the global anti war day on
February
15 we announce a massive escalation of action in the next weeks to try
to
prevent war. We believe a war on Iraq is wrong whether it has the
backing
of the United Nations or not.

There will be direct action at military installations and to stop
military
transport, mass pressure on parliamentary and United Nations
representatives, student strikes and occupations, workplace industrial
action, the establishment of peoples' assemblies and popular
consultations against war.

Every day now is crucial in the campaign to stop war.

In many countries there will be mass demonstrations on International
Womens' Day March 8.

In many countries there will be demonstrations, protests and mass civil
disobedience on March 15 in solidarity with the 'Converge on the White
House' demonstration in Washington.

March 21st will be wherever possible a day of workplace solidarity
against
war. This will involve workplace assemblies and various forms of
industrial action. In some countries national strike action against war
is
being
already being planned on this day.

We call on trade unions everywhere to support and promote action
against
war on March 21st.

We put the warmongers on notice that if they ignore world opinion and
launch a new attack on Iraq there will be a tidal wave of resistance.

On the day of an attack we call for mass protests in the centre of
every
town and city in the world.

The following Saturday we call for mass demonstrations in every capital
city.

We stand shoulder to shoulder with the people of Iraq in urging
everyone,
everywhere to play their part in trying to stop this insane war.

The delegates.

by Ken Mc Donnell - SP Tue Mar 04, 2003 14:42

I am pushing the idea of strikes. I am opposing the direct action of anti worker middle class dropouts.

by Ken McDonnell - SP Tue Mar 04, 2003 14:39

anyone can see that my line is that of the SP.

by SP watcher Tue Mar 04, 2003 14:38

Given that the Socialist Party is part of the Stop the War Coalition and that in both Britain and Ireland it has been arguing for strikes and walkouts against the war it should have been fairly obvious that the comments above weren't even a particularly clever piss take.

The motion which the Socialist Party got through the CWU committing it to campaigning for its members to take strike action has already been posted to the newswire.

by Ken - SP Tue Mar 04, 2003 14:34

Of course it's somebody taking the piss. For fuck's sake. One of the problems with indymedia is that anyone can claim to be anything.

by Ken McDonnell - SP Tue Mar 04, 2003 14:33

I used the expressions because these people come across as freaks to ordinary workers. The self same bunch who arrived at the tailend of the anti water charges campaign and tried to prevent Joe Higgins election. The working class were not fooled then and they wont be now.

It is only through the action of the organised working class that this war can be stopped. Disgraceful remarks have been made about SIPTU members in Shannon. If they are attacked by fraeks when they are doing their job then their actions are understandable.

The ravings of the Stalinist Kinsella are best ignored . This handful of aging appartchniks play no real part in IAWM.

by Paul Kinsella - Workers' Party Tue Mar 04, 2003 14:22 paulkinsella53 at yahoo dot com 53 Lorcan Grove ,Santry, Dublin 9, Eire 087-9748511

I agree with Joe on this one. How the hell are "strikes, blockading main roads, attempts to enter government buildings and sieges or invasions of military bases. Events where Ministers appear will be targets for sabotage and disruption." considered as "violence?" As for your idiotic suggestion that "These actions would cause conflict with workers", well the less said about this better, as otherwise it might give some credence to this totally illogical suggestion. If you'd bothered to read the article properly, many of these suggestions come directly from the British equivalent of the Irish Anti War Movement, the Stop The War Coalition, of which I presume (?) the British Socialist Party is a member of. Also many Trade Unions, both here and across the water have passed Anti war motions, which in many cases promise direct actions from the Unions in the event of a war starting (CPSU, ATGWU in Ireland for example). Finally FYI (For Your Information Ken, in case you don't understand what the abreviation FYI stands for) I know many members of the Socialist Party here in Ireland who will participate in similar protests here in Ireland the minute a war against the people of Iraq starts.

by Joe Tue Mar 04, 2003 12:50

I'm convinced it is a piss take now, the phrase "de classe counter culture movements" is a dead give away. Full marks (or should that be marx?)

by Ken - SP Tue Mar 04, 2003 12:37

These actions would cause conflict with workers. What is needed is a call for strike action to be raised in these offices and bases. THis is the only way forward.

Aggressive action by de classe counter culture movements will achieve phantom victories. It is only throiugh the labour movement that we can succeed.

by Joe Tue Mar 04, 2003 12:10

Is the above comment someone taking the piss out the SP or is an example of what happens when an ordninary members tries to implement the line. There is no 'violence' mentioned in the article at all, Ken, unless you conside "strikes, blockade main roads, attempts to enter government buildings and sieges or invasions of military bases. Events where Ministers appear will be targets for sabotage and disruption." as violence.

Is Kens comment a clever piss take?

by Ken McDonnell - SP Tue Mar 04, 2003 11:55

This sort of vioence must be avoided by activists at this conjuncture. All of our efforts must be directed towards getting strike action against the war and building bigger demonstrations.

Those who suggest direct action are just out to divide the movement.

by Intransigent Mon Mar 03, 2003 22:49

Do you remember Kronstadt?

by Non aligned peacnik Mon Mar 03, 2003 22:48

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