SWP Shock

national | miscellaneous | news report Sunday February 16, 2003 14:21 by Sindo

I wonder what bit of the website they are talking about?

Gardai probe peace march group's site

MICHAEL McDowell has ordered an investigation into one of the main groups behind the anti-war protest in Dublin yesterday, following public complaints that the far-left Socialist Workers Party (SWP), which was also involved in the Shannon protests, has been using its website to promote anti-Semitic stereotypes.

A spokesperson for Minister for Justice told the Sunday Independent that gardai are conducting a criminal probe into whether some of the contents are in breach of the Incitement to Hatred Act.

Richard Boyd-Barrett, the SWP organiser who is also chairperson of the Irish Anti-War Movement Steering Committee, described as "utter rubbish" the claim that their website was anti-Semitic, despite the malign image it paints of Jews.

The Republic's small 1,300-member Jewish community decided to boycott yesterday's demonstration, which had the support of the Conference of Religious in Ireland, Trocaire, the Irish Missionary Union, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, the Labour Party, the Greens, Sinn Fein and assorted Independent TDs, as well as community groups.

Mr Boyd-Barrett attacked Chief Rabbi Yaakov Pearlman for the Jewish community's decision to stay away. "That does not surprise me in the least. I can't speak for him, but I'd imagine he is loyal to the state of Israel," he said.

The SWP, which distributed 250,000 leaflets, put up 20,000 posters and organised nationwide transport for yesterday's three rallies and the main demonstration in Dublin, has taken up where the failed UN World Conference Against Racism left off 18 months ago.

This assembly descended into chaos as the US and Israel withdrew in protest at a campaign of hate against Israel by pro-Palestinian states, backed by far-left organisations like the SWP.

KEVIN MOORE