Socialist Workers Party Hijacking Unrelated Protests

Blisterman

Has anyone ever noticed that these guys are at every protest? Anti war protests, environmental protests, political protests etc, waving their placards with their well articulated arguments.:rolleyes:

Even at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Leicester, there were a few of them going around handing out fliers to people watching the parade.

It's ridiculous. Can't they organise their own demonstrations? Why do they insist on hijacking other people's protests? All they do is dilute and confuse people as to the real meaning of the protest.

wonderfulname

Of course they can't organise their own, nobody would show.

old hippy

Blisterman wrote: »

Has anyone ever noticed that these guys are at every protest? Anti war protests, environmental protests, political protests etc, waving their placards with their well articulated arguments.:rolleyes:

Even at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Leicester, there were a few of them going around handing out fliers to people watching the parade.

It's ridiculous. Can't they organise their own demonstrations? Why do they insist on hijacking other people's protests? All they do is dilute and confuse people as to the real meaning of the protest.

They are an extreme minority; and much maligned. Smashing stuff up wearing balaclavas and spraying anarchy signs is not a revolution. It's laughable.

Sergeant

wonderfulname wrote: »

Of course they can't organise their own, nobody would show.

Between writing the blog, posting eye-witness reports on Indymedia, standing outside the GPO and handing out leaflets, and designing posters telling us about "The Crisis in Capitalism" -- it doesn't leave much time to organise the revolution. It's very difficult be a middle-class socialist in Ireland.

Quiet you

They post that baseless crap on indymedia too? I knew they were a bunch of twats but I didn't think even they'd stoop so low.

mikemac

Not to derail your thread OP but I've not heard about Residents Against Racism either in the last while

There was a time when they were constantly on the news
I've forgotten the name of the lady who seemed to be the main organizer. Been googling for a few minutes and still can't find it.
She was well able to talk anyway, where have RAR gone? They were constantly at protests

RichieC

How dare they! the cheek. :mad:

hmmm

What would happen if we organised a protest against the SWP. A rip in the space time continuum?

Standman

Ah sure they've got revolution on the brain. You can be sure wherever theres a bit of trouble being caused in a protest you'll see the red flags and raised fist symbols of these eejits dotted amongst the crowd.

mikemac

Sure they must protest with bourgeois capitalist pigs still controlling the nation.

How did such a dour, miserable person as Clare Daly get elected?
A prize for the poster who can find a photo of Clare Daly smiling.
Herself and Joe Higgins suit each other.

Must be a crime to look happy and smile

Standman

feelingstressed wrote: »

Sure they must protest with bourgeois capitalist pigs still controlling the nation.

How did such a dour, miserable person as Clare Daly get elected?
A prize for the poster who can find a photo of Clare Daly smiling.
Herself and Joe Higgins suit each other.

Must be a crime to look happy and smile

Shlap

I'll pm you my address for the prize I will be expecting

PeterIanStaker

Standman wrote: »

Shlap

Is that the best she can do? Looks like the Joker after a night on the piss.

PeterIanStaker

feelingstressed wrote: »

Must be a crime to look happy and smile

smiling will be outlawed in the Workers Paradise once the SWP sieze power.

PeterIanStaker

Sergeant wrote: »

Between writing the blog, posting eye-witness reports on Indymedia, standing outside the GPO and handing out leaflets, and designing posters telling us about "The Crisis in Capitalism" -- it doesn't leave much time to organise the revolution. It's very difficult be a middle-class socialist in Ireland.

You forgot they also have to somehow find the time to buy the Michael Moore boxset in HMV!

super_furry

Anyone seen the current posters they have up in Dublin? Calling for a meeting on a 'Nuclear Meltodown of Capitalism', with a picture of a mushroom cloud in the background. They're obviously trying to capitalise on what's going on in Japan at the moment.

old hippy

See; there's genuine concerns here & reasons to get angry but the militants eejits ruined it all and turned it into Telegraph worrying bolloccs.

hmmm

If the Government didn't have the SWP they'd have to invent it. Their presence in a protest march automatically means that the population ignores it. They are the perfect tool for having a "sensible protest march protesting against unjust action" turned into "militant loons attack our loving and caring government".

My name is URL

People need to start protesting against the hijacking of protests, obviously.

PeterIanStaker

My name is URL wrote: »

People need to start protesting against the hijacking of protests, obviously.

and then there would be protests over the protest being hijacked by people who hijacked the first protest . . . .

biko

Wait, you're giving out about an English party at English protests in England?

super_furry

biko wrote: »

Wait, you're giving out about an English party at English protests in England?

The SWP are very much over here and are, on general, organising at least one protest a week here.

Sergeant

biko wrote: »

Wait, you're giving out about an English party at English protests in England?

The plight of the worker and the fight against the bourgeoisie is a worldwide issue Comrade.

Mike 1972

feelingstressed wrote: »

How did such a dour, miserable person as Clare Daly get elected?

Because people voted for her ?

BTW Clare Daly is not a member of the SWP. Nor are the SWP anarchists. People really need to read up a bit more on Judean factions.

wonderfulname

PeterIanStaker wrote: »

and then there would be protests over the protest being hijacked by people who hijacked the first protest . . . .

Or the protest against hijacked protests would be hijacked to protest what little protesting we as a nation protest.





Protest.

biko

super_furry wrote: »

The SWP are very much over here and are, on general, organising at least one protest a week here.

The OP pic and ref to Leicester made me think he was referring only to protests in UK.
Btw, I've never seen SWP protest in Galway, maybe they more active in the east?

squod

biko wrote: »

The OP pic and ref to Leicester made me think he was referring only to protests in UK.
Btw, I've never seen SWP protest in Galway, maybe they more active in the east?

Never seen them here either.

mikemac

biko wrote: »

Btw, I've never seen SWP protest in Galway, maybe they more active in the east?

Ye have the GAAW.
Used to see them out at the Salthill Airshow
I've moved out of Galway a few years now but I was there in 2003 or was that 2004, the year it was pouring rain. It was so incredibly organized it was a credit to everyone involved. As one plane exited south to Black Head another entered from the West from Galway Airport. It was superb!

Never saw them with the Russian Navy passed close by the west coast of Ireland though

No, they only follow fashionable causes and that's hating the USA and Israel.

Pride Fighter

To clear up the confusion the SWP changed their name to the People Before Profit Alliance here in Ireland. This was because they couldn't win an election even if they were the only candidates in the field under the SWP banner. In turn the people before profit then allied to the Socialist Party under the headline of the United Left Alliance. The SWP and SP are both Trotskyist 4th international parties, but the left has splits here there and everywhere, and as a result hate each other even though they are ideologically similar, the disagreements are a result of ideological impurity and personality clashes.

Hope that was of help.

PS I'm not in any of the above mentioned parties but have several friends in all the above mentioned parties.

panda100

feelingstressed wrote: »

Not to derail your thread OP but I've not heard about Residents Against Racism either in the last while

There was a time when they were constantly on the news
I've forgotten the name of the lady who seemed to be the main organizer. Been googling for a few minutes and still can't find it.
She was well able to talk anyway, where have RAR gone? They were constantly at protests

Rosanna Flynn is who your talking about and Residents against racism is still an active campaigning group.

the groutch

feelingstressed wrote: »

Must be a crime to look happy and smile

and happy, smiling TDs have been good for the country?

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_IUX745WRIXI/TTN9dJbbwTI/AAAAAAAACBU/pZjfK5hgIuo/s1600/BrianCowen03.jpg

prinz

biko wrote: »

The OP pic and ref to Leicester made me think he was referring only to protests in UK.
Btw, I've never seen SWP protest in Galway, maybe they more active in the east?

squod wrote: »

Never seen them here either.

They're worse than Bertie Ahern turning up at the opening of an envelope. Any type of march or protest, particularly in Dublin, and there they'll be, invariably with scarf-covered faces and hoods up, red flags with the yellow fist. There's a smattering of other groups who stick to a similar role. Usually they will arrive with loudspeakers to shout down/over whoever was speaking/leading the protest, and generally they will try to raise tensions with AGS too. The last major march that went down to the GPO in Dublin was a continuation of this policy where a handful of SWP-heads started drowning out the speeches with their own brand of nonsense, then as the crowd dispersed started trying to deliberately start a confrontation with the gardaí who had enjoyed a positive relationship with the crowd where I was on O'Connell Street. Cluster of them in the middle below..

http://lostchildreninthewilderness.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/f-2-ictu-anti-austerity-plan-protest-march-assembling-at-christchurch-dublin.jpg

SWP group break away from proper march and try to rush the Dáil gates

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqNOQemn11o&feature=related

Which of course gets all marches a reputation and decent people stay away and refuse to associate themselves with these nutters. Trouble makers.

Sergeant

prinz wrote: »

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yqNOQemn11o&feature=related

Which of course gets all marches a reputation and decent people stay away and refuse to associate themselves with these nutters. Trouble makers.

Now we see the violence inherent in the system!

BOZG

*BREAKING NEWS*

Political party joins political protest? Whodathunkit?

prinz

BOZG wrote: »

Political party joins political protest? Whodathunkit?

The Paddies Day parade is a political protest?

jill_valentine

I used to be very politically active, and protested a lot. The SWP have done a lot to put me off.

On one particularly notable occasion, they walked the length of the march only to heckle the speaker once they got outside the Dáil. Like, we organised the protest, gathered up the bodies, made up all the signs, did all the press etc, etc only for SWP to appear, with their generic reuseable signs and flags, to march at the head of it as if they were leading it, and then heckled the people actually involved.

I agree with the OP. F*ck those guys. They hijack any protest they're part of - which is damn near any one they hear of, because they just love a bit of a walk - and discredit any movement they lend their colours to. Urgh.

BOZG

prinz wrote: »

The Paddies Day parade is a political protest?

No, it's not. But this thread has hardly focused on them appearing at a Paddy's Day parade.

Regardless, it's an opportunity to talk to a big group of people. Who cares?

prinz

BOZG wrote: »

No, it's not. But this thread has hardly focused on them appearing at a Paddy's Day parade.

It hasn't focused on them joining political protests either. It has focused on them acting like complete tits.

K-9

I don't they get that they do more damage than harm.

It's like Youth Defence tarnished the Yes side in the Divorce referendum and the likes of Coir undermined the second Lisbon vote.

BOZG

prinz wrote: »

It hasn't focused on them joining political protests either. It has focused on them acting like complete tits.

Yes but the OP mentions that they are on "every protest" and then goes to list a number of political protests.

Don't get me wrong, I have many political differences with the SWP and their antics in different campaigns over the years. And contrary to Pride Fighter's uninformed comments earlier, there are significant differences amongst left parties internationally relating to political principles, tactics and perspectives - it is not to do with personality clashes. At the same time, it's not uncommon at all for many countries to have numerous right-wing / capitalist parties or even different wings in the one party - the right is as splintered as the left though Ireland is somewhat different due to our political development.

However, most of the comments being made here are not with people who've actually had to work alongside the SWP in different campaigns but from people who've attended a protest or two and seen the SWP there. The tone of their comments is much more about the audacity of a political party attending a political protest. Something which is particular amusing is that the OP makes references to the anti-war movement protests despite the fact that the most significant anti-war demonstrations held in Ireland were organised by the IAWM of which the SWP, along with many other groups on the left, were a component part. I have serious issues about how the SWP acted within the IAWM but to claim that they hijacked a demonstration they played a role in organising is quite amusing. Even in your own comments, you reference a protest organised by the Right to Work Campaign which is an SWP campaign.

Most of the comments here are more to do with political bias than anything else.

sensibleken

Nothing new. these gob****es have been doing this for years. Years ago when I was involved with various lefty causes you would have to be damned carefull you didnt let these guys know about any action you were planning. parasites

RichieC

BOZG wrote: »

No, it's not. But this thread has hardly focused on them appearing at a Paddy's Day parade.

Regardless, it's an opportunity to talk to a big group of people. Who cares?

Only certain people are allowed to protest! :rolleyes:


most of these guys are arseholes, but they have a right to protest.

prinz

BOZG wrote: »

Even in your own comments, you reference a protest organised by the Right to Work Campaign which is an SWP campaign..

I referenced attending the ICTU march. I did not attend to have some SWP scream in my ear from two feet away with a megaphone while I was trying to listen to Fintan O'Toole. Or to have muppets mingle into the crowd and then throw rubbish, open drinks cans etc over the rest of us at the garda line for example, and when the march was over try to force their way through a line of 4 or 5 gardaí who were protecting the side of the stage and then scream about police brutality. When they could easily have circled around them in about 5 seconds no problems whatsoever.

The video I linked to was to show other posters who it seems have little experience of the SWP in this country what they are like.

Akrasia

Blisterman wrote: »

Has anyone ever noticed that these guys are at every protest? Anti war protests, environmental protests, political protests etc, waving their placards with their well articulated arguments.:rolleyes:

Even at the St. Patrick's Day parade in Leicester, there were a few of them going around handing out fliers to people watching the parade.

It's ridiculous. Can't they organise their own demonstrations? Why do they insist on hijacking other people's protests? All they do is dilute and confuse people as to the real meaning of the protest.

They've been doing it for years. That's what their MO is. I went on a big rant about that in my undergraduate sociology thesis and that was in 2004

The SWP will try and control any political movement before it gets off the ground. they do this by forming front groups claiming to be open democratic grassroots groups, but they will always flood them with SWP activists who generally tend to take control due.

When other groups set up alongside the SWP fronts, the SWP will do everything they can do to undermine them. (eg during the iraq protests, if the other anti war groups announced a protest at shannon airport, they would announce a simultanious protest in dublin, or on one occasion, travel to shannon and then try to lead a different march at the same time and syphon off activists from the proposed direct action.

The SWP are a dispicable organisation, I wouldn't trust them (but at the same time, some of the new recruits are young and naive and are not aware of the tactics of the SWP, so if they come up to you full of enthusiasm, be gentle and explain to them what kind of group they are associated with)

Akrasia

old hippy wrote: »

They are an extreme minority; and much maligned. Smashing stuff up wearing balaclavas and spraying anarchy signs is not a revolution. It's laughable.

Thats not the SWP. the SWP are the ones selling newspapers

Pauleta

These people are cockroaches. Nearly every protest they high jack turns violent as well. They dont believe in democracy either. They just believe in a left wing loon state where everyone abides by their thoughts and beliefs even though its not the democratic will of the people.

BOZG

prinz wrote: »

I referenced attending the ICTU march. I did not attend to have some SWP scream in my ear from two feet away with a megaphone while I was trying to listen to Fintan O'Toole. Or to have muppets mingle into the crowd and then throw rubbish, open drinks cans etc over the rest of us at the garda line for example, and when the march was over try to force their way through a line of 4 or 5 gardaí who were protecting the side of the stage and then scream about police brutality. When they could easily have circled around them in about 5 seconds no problems whatsoever.

The video I linked to was to show other posters who it seems have little experience of the SWP in this country what they are like.

You posted a link to the RtW protest outside the Dáil also.

That's fair enough to say that you shouldn't have to listen scream into your ear with a megaphone but your claims that members were trying to rush the stage or secretly mingling with the crowd are unproven and unless you have proof that these were in fact members, it would be best to stop with the allegations. The bulk of the SWP, along with the other left political groups were actually quite a distance away from the stage as the stewards forced us all to the back of the demonstration. We then had an alternative platform where the majority of members of all the groups involved were actually standing in front of, quite a distant from the main stage.

conorhal

They are the political equivalent of the Judean Peoples Front. They're a joke, a Monty Python sketch, but lacking it's wit, irony or self-awareness.

Any time you come across them, just shout:

SPLITTERS!!!!!

BOZG

conorhal wrote: »

They are the political equivalent of the Judean Peoples Front. They're a joke, a Monty Python sketch, but lacking it's wit, irony or self-awareness.

Any time you come across them, just shout:

SPLITTERS!!!!!

Do you know how unoriginal a suggestion that is?

Maybe you should also suggest bringing some "Careful Now!" and "Down with this sort of thing!" placards along too.

Chairman Meow

A bunch of spoilt middle class children whov'e listened to too much Rage against the ****ing machine.

Its disgusting them hijacking the crisis in japan to spout their own bull**** about 'capitalisms nuclear nightmare, maaaaaaan'. Ever hear of Chernobyl, you ****wits?

KeithAFC

I hate them.

Mike 1972

Akrasia wrote: »

Thats not the SWP. the SWP are the ones selling newspapers

The Socialist Worker basically a hard left version of the daily mail