Curious clash of meetings.

Wednesday December 04, 2002 11:49

by Badman

I just noticed that a group calling itself "South City Anti-War" have put up posters advertising a film showing tonight at 7pm in town, under the heading "Not in our Name".

I think it's curious that this event directly clashes with the anti-war meeting tonight at 7:30pm in Liberty Hall, organised by the Dublin Grassroots Gathering mobilisation for the Shannon Demonstration.

I wonder if "South City Anti-War" is on paper a local group of the IAWM, but in fact entirely made up of SWP hacks?

I wonder if any non-SWP people were involved in the meeting that decided to go ahead with this date and time?

I wonder if "South City Anti-War" is in fact a front for the SWP?

I wonder if the time and date were deliberately chosen in an attempt to sabotage the Liberty Hall meeting?

I wonder if the SWP were concerned lest any of their not-totally-brainwashed members might go to an independant event which might challenge the "SWP is the leader of the anti-war movement" line?

I wonder if the SWP will respond with the usual "we didn't know about it... meetings always clash..."?

I wonder if anonymous posters will respond with: "this meeting was organised at a broad committee meeting before we knew anything about the other meeting"?

I wonder if there will be any non-SWP member who will be able to substantiate anything they say about broad meetings, etc?

I wonder if anybody who has any experience of dealing with the SWP will believe anything they say?

I wonder how these SWP people can claim to be interested in stopping the war, when it seems that all they are interested in is maintaining control of all around them?

I wonder what mental gymnastics they perform to allow them to justify sabotaging the emergance of a broad, open anti-war movement in the interest of building the party?

I wonder whether they have any shame?

save preference

Comments (14 of 14)

I think Gavin has answered at least one of my wonders

Fri Dec 06, 2002 17:30

Yep, that's right, they have no fucking shame, a bare-faced lie! (Kevin Wing-Commander??)

South City Anti-War don't exist, a one-off front name for the SWP. Incidentally I'd say that it wasn't a real conspiracy, it was just an SWP branch meeting that coincidentally clashed with the Liberty Hall meeting. The fact that they decided to extensively poster for it, on the other hand, was probably not a coincidence.

They actually call other people splitters!

Stop the conspiracy theories

by Bob the Party Builder

Thu Dec 05, 2002 18:18

The "South City Anti-War" meeting was in reality an SWP branch meeting with a bit of postering and a front-name. This is pretty standard behaviour for the SWP in broad campaigns.

Does anyone remember the Rathmines branch of the SWP becoming the "Rathmines Branch of the Alliance for a No Vote" for one meeting during the most recent abortion referendum?

Pulling that kind of stunt gets up other people's noses. Even groups which really are broad (like the ANV) get turned into fronts for a night.

If the SWP really wanted to form a "South City Anti-War" group, they could have contacted other groups and individuals in the Irish Anti-War Movement and for that matter other anti-war groups and pulled together a real meeting of anti-war forces in the South City area. But they didn't. Instead they re-branded a branch meeting.

The Liberty Hall meeting clash is just an irritating side-issue in this context. I think it can be taken as read that the time, venue and date of the "South City Anti-War" are the time, venue and date of the local SWP branch meeting and were not chosen with the Shannon meeting in mind.

a genuine SWP meeting

by Browned off

Thu Dec 05, 2002 13:30

Was in Bowes. Saw SWP members going to the meeting, didn't see anyone I thought was an ordinary anti war head. Looks like it was set up to attract some people away from the Liberty Hall meeting but it was not exactly successful. When is this silly behaviour going to stop?

yep they are genuine

by gavin

Wed Dec 04, 2002 15:22

and do good work so stop bitcin'

I'm the real badman

by real badman (small b)

Wed Dec 04, 2002 13:40

And I actually thought that the South City Anti War was a real (ie non front) group. They were present at the last demo in Shannon with a banner, but I don't know anything more about them. Anybody heard of them?

Goodbye!

by bb

Wed Dec 04, 2002 13:17

So is it true or not?

by Sickman

Wed Dec 04, 2002 13:12

Here here

Wed Dec 04, 2002 13:07

I'm new to indymedia - but I've got to agree with Pedro. Theres a lot of sad petty shit coming through. Grow up y'all.

pedro

by pat c

Wed Dec 04, 2002 12:59