Open Letter to GR/SWP regarding the call for Thursday's protest

national | miscellaneous | news report Wednesday May 08, 2002 05:09 by path in exile rhizomix at hotmail dot com temporary: Aotearoa

Open Letter to GR/SWP

Open letter to GR/SWP

I sent an email to Joe Carolan/GR (globalise_resistance@yahoo.com) on Friday May 3rd, stating that it would be great if members of GR/SWP would come down to the RTS party on Monday May 6th, but would they please leave their banners and/or placards at home, as RTS was strictly a non-political event, not for any party or organisation's gain.

I didnt recieve any reply, but fair enough - the RTS party on the day was mostly non-'political' (as it should be), in that there was none of the usual PLACARDS! WITH! EXCLAMATION! MARKS! being brandished about, with a 'brand' plastered across the top for exposure. Good to see it! No political organisation has or should have a monopoly on or ownership of a street party.

I see now that Joe Carolan and Grace Lally have called a protest outside Pearse St. Garda station for Thursday evening.

A couple of quick questions then:

1) Did GR email the rtsmayday@yahoo.co.uk email address or phone anybody (like James, Cormy, etc) first and ask them if it was OK to call a protest outside a Garda station following Mondays events?

2) Will GR/SWP respect the RTS ethos of non-political affiliation and not print up placards and banners for Thursday's protest with their name on them?

If the answer to either of these questions is NO - then GR should IMMEDIATELY call off their protest outside Pearse St Garda station.

I'm not going to accuse them of bandwagon jumping - yet - but if they have not bothered to consult the RTS people, or are going to turn an independently organised street party into yet another potential recruiting drive, (which I saw at the edges of Car Free Day on Sept 22 last year with SWP papers on sale) then if they insist with their protest on Thursday evening, I would advise any RTS people to hastily print up a leaflet explaining briefly why the GR protest should not be supported, and advise people to go home or have a beer.

This has been posted to the Indymedia news wire, and emailed direct to RTS and GR/SWP. A response would be appreciated from GR - you contribute regularly to the newswire so you will have read this.

Well done to all concerned for organising a brilliant RTS. Looking forward to more in future.