BNP Whinging and Whining

by elaine trotsky - 4th international Tue Feb 03, 2004 09:11

also fair play to Shan kenna of socialist youth for keeping these guys out of trinity college recnely,hy is trinity colleges predominately white philosophical society so keen on getting racists and fascists to come and speak?

DONT GIVE NAZIS A PLATFORM IN OUR COUNTRY!!


go on tiny left wing student groups!!!

by kokomero Tue Feb 03, 2004 10:07

not to give the BNP a platform.

Unfortunately Haider WAS allowed to speak in TCD and our own home-grown facists/revisionists such as Aine NiChonaill of the Immigration control platform and Tom Cooney (so-called law lecturer in UCD) who are willingly given air time by TV and radio stations which use controversy to boost ratings.

Not to mention facist/revisionist elements within the media itself such as Kevin Myers, Eoin Harris, Mary Kenny, John Waters etc. who the media moguls cynically give a platform to to boost sales.

by Archibald Tue Feb 03, 2004 12:51

damn that free speech nonsense, once everybody is properly re-educated, maybe then we can think about it but while people like kevin myers can go about writing and saying what they think there is no future for Ireland.

As with regards to Aine Ni Chonaill, it is unfair and probably libelious to call her a fascist, she is an anti-immigrationist. If people on this site can not distinguish between the two, it says alot about the intellectual standard on indymedia.ie

by h. Tue Feb 03, 2004 14:59

Sorry, have I been asleep for a couple of years or something?

You mean Tom Cooney from the ICCL and co-author of amongst other things:

the Report of the Working Party on Child Sex Abuse; Equality Now for Lesbians and Gay men;
Anti-Racist Law Travellers;
Police Interrogation Endangers the Innocent and
The Case for Divorce in the 1990s.

Is there something I don't know or were you just being witty?

by kokomero Tue Feb 03, 2004 18:00

I do find it difficult to distinguish between fascists and right-wing
revisionists and suspect that I am not alone in this regard.

It seems very easy these days to flit over and back accross
the dividing line at ones convenience these days.

The Tom Cooney I speak of may have authored the reports you
speak of but this doesn't prevent him from shouting down all
opposition when given a platform.

What use is freedom of speech it only applies to one individual
or group specifically the type of person I mentioned in my
previous comment seems to have a platform and carte blanche
shove their worldview down our necks whether we like it or not.

As for fascist labeling of Aine Ni Chonaill or others the right
wing are allowed to throw around such terms with reckless abandon
when it comes to Republicans for instance.

As for libel fascist is as fascist does!

by By ANy Means Necessary Tue Feb 03, 2004 18:26

As a black person who still carries the scars of a racist attacks while living in England,... "nigger Irish"... I do not see the point in not giving the BNP a platform. The battle to rid our society of these racists is in the communities where they spread their racist lies, communities which are invariably working class. I am less in fear of nazis then of the state, which discriminates against me daily and patronises me constantly. No platform policy sounds great, but it has not stopped the BNP gaining seats throughout the UK. The left has to get among the people who have been duped into blaming me for the ills of society and so deflecting attention from the real class enemy.
Let them come out and oppose them, don't make them victims by censoring them. Smash them on the streets, give them enough rope to hang themselves...give them public debate...and defeat them.

by pat c Tue Feb 03, 2004 18:32

Ken Livingstone and Commission for Racial Equality boss Trevor Phillips have joined MPs and union leaders to launch a united front against the BNP.
They fear the far-right party will enjoy further success at council and European elections this year.

Unite Against Fascism will attempt to organise rallies and campaigns against the BNP across the country.

Activists say a predicted turnout of 18% could lead to the BNP winning a European seat in the North West.

London Mayor Mr Livingstone - just readmitted to the Labour party - said the policies of the government and media hysteria about asylum seekers were fuelling xenophobia.

Full story at:

by Sam Pepys Tue Feb 03, 2004 18:39

"also fair play to Shan kenna of socialist youth for keeping these guys out of trinity college recnely"

It was a collection of people withh differing political views united by their anti-fascism who stopped the BNP in TCD. The SP should not be claiming all the credit for what was a joint activity. None of the TCD SP turned up to protest against Ni Chonaill, the opposition was SA, Labour Youth, AFA and a member of UCD SY.

by Drbinoche Tue Feb 03, 2004 20:26

I must say I agree with this person and it is a point I was trying to bring across in the original thread about the UCC law society meeting. I am all in favour of BNP coming to this country and giving as many talks as they want, because then you get to attack em and show what they truely are and what they truely believe face to face and in front of people who might be easily misled. If you make em victims people will listen to em more and more. I don't mean like Brainwashing or anything as far-fetched [ to some thought it can be that extreme!] but if these people can be shown to be wrong and can be shown to be lying in front of the susceptable people, then you can stop the damage before hand. Anyone who believes you will win all is wrong, unfortunately no matter how many successes you make, you will ineviatbly lose some people to their beliefes, but this way you can curtail the number more frequently.

Believe me, confronting them during their speeches and deabtes is better than stopping them from speaking at all.

by Elaine Trotsky Wed Feb 04, 2004 12:44

In fairness,can't we remember our history class at school? The last time that the far right was given a democratic platform in europe,Hitler used this to overthrow democracy,and we all now what followed next.

Also look at what happened when senator palpatine was allowed to speak at the galactic federation...he began the destruction of the republic and ushered in his religous theocracy and evil trade federation.

I know it happened a long time agao in a galaxy far ,far away,but it holds true to our little planet aswell.

seriously guys...when jorg haider and other far right racist groups are allowed to speak,they go to speak at the "philosophical society" at TCD,and the law society at ucd.the peole that frequent these societys are the beurgois and sons and daughters of wealthy types.some of them will be inpower in this and other countrys,and we cannot allow them to be influenced.
I say again...do not allow These racists a platform.

Join the rebel alliance instead.

by By Any Means Necessary Wed Feb 04, 2004 13:21

Hitler's rise to power would of been stopped if the left Socialists and Communists had united and their various paramilitary organisations had fought and defeated the National Socialists on the streets.


The BNP in the UK lives off the far right policies of the British labour government and the racist nature of British society.

Those of us who oppose the BNP and their racist allies in the establishment cannot justconcentrate our efforts in closing some doors to them. They have the freedom to stand during elections and the comfort of media coverage whenever they want to spourt their lies.

In answer to Ms Trotsky, the bourgeoise will always use racism to divide workers, its not the social clubs of the middle classes that count but the work places and homes of the working class..this class is the only one which can make racism irrelevant.