Irish Anti-War Movement People's Assembly

by Ray Thu Jul 01, 2004 15:30

"The Dublin demonstration was attended by almost 30,000. On Saturday morning over 2,000 rallied at Dromoland Castle and then again at Shannon Airport while George Bush was leaving."

Nonsense! There were at least 50,000 people in Dublin on Friday evening, and even the most pessimistic estimates say there at least 2.5 million people at Dromoland Castle. (Good thing Richie brought his enormous PA)

by Redhead Thu Jul 01, 2004 15:48

.... or a SWP assembly?

by Little Egret Thu Jul 01, 2004 16:03

“The demonstrations were a show of unity and strength.” Such bullshit. The IAWM deleted all mention of the AWI Shannon demo from their website and the Saturday demo was split in 2 – IAWM and Ambush. In the meantime RBB and his bus screeched ahead of a group that had walked 4 miles to Dromoland just so the IAWM could get to the front. Such unity! The IAWM and SWP are wrecking the antiwar movement (aided and abeted by PANA, NGOs, Green Party, ATGWU).

by Ray Thu Jul 01, 2004 16:06

Will there be room for anyone else in the hall after the 5,000 SWP members take their seats?

by Raver Thu Jul 01, 2004 16:09

Remember the SWP wouldnt be able to get away with this without the willing complicity of the SP. The SP voted along with the SWP in the undemocratic expulsions from the steering committee.

by Kevin Boyd-Allen Thu Jul 01, 2004 16:16

2.00pm: Register on SWP address list
2.15pm: Lecture on latest SWP line by Richard Boyd Barrett of the SWP
3.00pm: Commercial presentation by a member of the SWP (UK) on European Social Forum and how the SWP (UK) expects to control it
4.00pm: Resolutions
4.01pm: Tea and opportunity to get to know the SWP and to consider joining the party
5.00pm: Condescending summing up by Kieran Allen of the SWP
5.59pm: SWP paper sellers form gauntlets at exists
6.00pm: Anyone not already a member of the SWP “invited” to join the IAWM/SWP
6.30pm: Adjourn to pub where ample opportunity for joining the SWP will be provided. Debates between non-SWP people versus 5 members of the SWP each will help non-SWP people clarify their politics and see error of their ways

by Quizmaster Thu Jul 01, 2004 16:18

The question is, which of our usual trolls is now calling himself "Raver"?

Could it be lonely Labour Party leftover "Magneto", back with a bang?

Could it be sinister Sinn Fein smear-artist "observer", too embarrassed to comment on all those election result threads where he claimed the left would be wiped out?

Could it be silly Socialist Party schoolboy "sp member", engaging in a bit of double bluffing?

Could it be a new entry, determined to make a name for himself in the tough world of anonymous Indymedia trolls? If so, its mostly likely a regular contributor doing a bit of dirty work with an assumed name.

The best guess gets a free copy of Workers Solidarity as a prize.

by Raver Thu Jul 01, 2004 16:23

Why do the SP find it so difficult to answer questions? Anyway are you saying that the SP are no longer in the IAWM and are therefore no longer facilitating the SWPs domination?

Who could quizmaster be? Finghin, Oisin, Brian or some new SPuppie earning his SPurs?

by Michael Thu Jul 01, 2004 18:58

The IAWM/SWP is finished and should do the decent thing and fold up its tents.

I don't mean this in a sectarian or nasty way because unlike many on this website I don't have a serious problem with the SWP and I believe that the IAWM has done good work. The SWP has put a lot of time into the anti-war movement.

However, it's obvious that they're alienated every leading anti-war activist in the country and the IAWM is discreditted. Look at the Phoenix today. In such circumstances the decent thing to do is try to reach an arrangement with others to found a new national movement. A merger between Anti-War Ireland the IAWM would be a step forward. However, the reality at this stage is that no anti-war activist I know respects the IAWM anymore and its needs to deal with this seriously.

by pc Thu Jul 01, 2004 19:15

well i sent a mail to roger cole the other day when he posted here asking about his idea of distinguished/intergrity of pana he pointed out and i didn't fully realise that the pana is a shell for and supported by all the usual heads pretty much the same ones in as iawm ie greens ngo sp swp, labour (correct me if im wrong, not insult intended )

of course here he just evading responsiblity for heading up an organiation thats allows it self to be scew and embarrassed by the swp
on a regular occasion

he was indicating that swp one just one of possible two dozen people in pana and in the iawm which does things with...

i was suggesting that the ngo alliance and pana and the other ngo and parties were the primary ones proping up the swp/iawm and the swp would die (re anti-war) without them when some of them would make a better attempt and treating orgnaisers and follow movementeers properly .....

i wouldn't see awi and iawn affilitates (minus the swp) joining up together.... the political parties and ngo are two weak willed, the awi and its regulars are whole (better) different level

i'd be happy to see all the iawm bar the swp form there own coalition and make a go of without insipidly depending on the swp.... they could do their own thing with a bit more honesty

of course there are a number of people within the ngo and parties who do act rather then talk and have a level of integrity

by Doubting Thomas Thu Jul 01, 2004 19:19

The fate of the IAWM is another sad page in the tale of the SWP's smash'n'grab mentality. They use, abuse and leave every front they form, leaving confused and disillusioned young activists in their wake. They alienate and sour everyone they cannot immediately recruit to the SWP. Their sole interest is in "building the party".

I suspect Raver is an SWP member. He has tried to diss the SP on two other threads today. On one, while abusing Mick Murphy, he quoted Lenin. His purpose is to throw some mud on the SP in a vain attempt to draw attention from legitimate criticism of the SWP.

by pc Thu Jul 01, 2004 19:26

while warning (in an unproductive way) the swp people i knew about the reception they might receive when they paraded to the rts gathering point on mayday multiple large flags in the air, one of active swp perons asked me why won't we be welcomed or some such,

i said matter of factly cos you screw people around all the time....

he immediately looked aghast , who does what now ?

do they not even admit to themselves what they do?

by Gerry M. Thu Jul 01, 2004 19:31

I can understand what pc is saying but doesn't he or she know that there is no IAWM without the SWP? They have a member of the Greens - Sinead - out front at the moment (doing the dirty work) but the IAWM is run entirely by Kieran Allen, Richard Boyd Barrett and Rory Hearne (all SWP). Other SWPers like Dave Lordan, Aoife Ni Fheargail, Colm Stephens, and Martin O'Sullivan pitch in now and again. The putting up of posters and the temporay resurrections of non-existent IAWM branches is done by the SWP branches around the city and beyond. There are virtually no non-SWP rank-and-filers. There are some 'independents' on the steering committee but these are stooges and play no role in the day-to-day running of the 'organisation' and have no control (they just turn up once every six weeks to steering committee meetings and listen to reports from the SWP activists). It's a joke, but the inclusion of the word 'MOVEMENT' helps to fool your ordinary punter who doesn't know the ins and outs of the anti-war movement.

by Doubting Thomas Thu Jul 01, 2004 19:57

An unexpected benefit of the SWP's recent behaviour is that there are now so many pissed-off former allies that the next bandwagon that requires the organisation of a united front will be announed with an indymedia item beginning "anyone interested in organising - except the SWP, of course - should contact......................"

by pc Thu Jul 01, 2004 20:36

i do realise that....

thats why im saying the problems caused by the spw/iawm are prepetuated by and the fault of all the other groups as much as by the swp themselves because they give there name to something the do no work on...

by juan pablo Fri Jul 02, 2004 01:05

are you trying to convince others or yourselves?

by angry Antiwar person Fri Jul 02, 2004 05:06

As usual this compulsive lier is at it again
Their were 4 buses sent to shannon from the IAWM not all of them members either thats 200 max.
the rest of the crowd was made up non IAWM people.
AND he claimed credit on Sky News for the march which delayed the press in Dromoland for half an hour. Not true: NOTHING to do with the SWP/IAWM--------------- And well he knows it

cheers

by George Stapleton Fri Jul 02, 2004 12:37

Although I have little time for the SWP/IAWM, and won't be mising them on Saturday. It must be admitted, it is a sad state of affairs when a supposedely socialist party thinks it can best further the cause of an egalitarian society by holding a recruiting drive instead of attending a meeting to consider how we can deal with the growing anti-immigrant sentiment in Ireland.

by Heron Fri Jul 02, 2004 15:25

The IAWM/SWP recruit fair also clashes with the Gay Pride march in Dublin. But what's new? Richard Boyd Barrett last year "forgot" about the IAWM blockade of Shannon planned for 6th December when arranging a bin-tax conference in Dublin for the same day (and he didn't bother going to Shannon).

It's obvious the IAWM came up with the People's Assembly on the way back from Dromoland last Saturday. Handy, this lack of democracy – you can make it up as you go along.

by Henrietta Street Mouse Fri Jul 02, 2004 18:26

The SWP fresh from the sickening turn to Islam with Respect (Nothing against Islam but you raise your own flag) are now building for the ESF being held in London with the help of Ken Livingstone.
Now would that be the same Ken Livingstone who just asked RMT members to cross pickets. But in the new socialism of the SWP - don't expect them to raise this issue.

by dunk Sat Jul 03, 2004 14:50

its clear grassroots and or ambush is against a lot of swp/ iawm stuff- for me action is needed and grassroots is doing that
grand
but i think its important for grssroots heads to be there to give their account

many peole at the iawm walk and who will be at this are fresh to the "global jsutice movement" therefor its important to get word out to them of all the stuff thats going on

iawm stuff is the most publicly accesible, fair play to them for that

im going down and if no one else gives report of ambush action i will say my bit.
if anyone has some printflares they can get down there please do

the anti stuff is over now- may day and bush

we made a media centre, more people are aware of us and are joining us
now it is time to demonstrate what we are for and to actively engage with more and more people

see you soon
dunk

by ambush head Sat Jul 03, 2004 15:26

yeah, like I agree with the head from ambush some of us heads should get down there like and dont leave it all to the swp heads dont forget a lot of the heads on the crummy iawm march – i meant walk in the park – are new heads so us old heads (dont forget most of us ambush heads are over 20) should get down there and give them the ambush line cool
see you soon
anarchofuckbushfuckrbbfuckitallhead

by R. Isible Sun Jul 04, 2004 04:07

QUOTE: "iawm stuff is the most publicly accesible, fair play to them for that"

What do you you mean dunk? All the Grassroots Network stuff is publically accessible as far as I can see: they advertise and hold open meetings and anyone can turn up to them. There are also mailing lists you can join.

by hmm Sun Jul 04, 2004 17:06

i think he means up until before mayday
iawn were the most visible part of the anti-war yokes...

i think also perhaps it is the most accessible to fair weather protestors i think you need to be a bit more committed to participate in the other campaigns which ain't such a bad thing...