Showing posts with label Brighton & Hove PSC. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brighton & Hove PSC. Show all posts

27 May 2021

RESIST at the RIALTO – Standing Up to Zionist Attacks on Freedom of Speech - Launch Meeting Today - Friday May 28 6 pm

 Unlike Momentum’s World Transformed we Won’t Ban Events On Palestine and Zionism because we do stand for a World Transformed!

People may remember the lead up to the Labour Party Conference in 2019, which as it turned out was Corbyn’s swansong. I wrote at the time that The Suspension of Chris Williamson MP is Shameful – This May Be the End of the Corbyn Project

In the lead up to the Conference, under the approving eye of Jennie Formby and Corbyn, who by then had completely surrendered to their enemies, the Board of Deputies and the Zionists waged a campaign to physically prevent pro-Palestinian and anti-Zionist events.

Packed session at the Rialto in 2019

At the beginning of August Brighton and Hove Labour Left Alliance booked in turn 3 venues to hold a meeting with Chris Williamson MP, who had been unlawfully suspended by Formby and Corbyn. All 3 venues gave way to pressure

Justin Schlosberg, one of the speakers, accused those who forced  Waterstones to cancel the book launch of being 'book burners' see students in 1933 burning books in Nazi Germany

First was the Brighthelm Church & Community Centre, run by right-wing Christians. They agreed to a ‘request’ by local Blairite MP Peter Kyle not to host the meeting.

The Holiday Inn were next. Subject to a social media bombardment and then two Zionist thugs walked in threatening staff.

Jack Mendel, political correspondent of Jewish News pleased at another success for those who would destroy free speech

Then finally, on the day of the talk the Quakers’ Friends Meeting House quaked and gave in.

But we didn’t give in. We immediately called people to a rallying point and then took people from there to an open air meeting at Regency Square. The Zionists howled. Board of Deputies President Marie van der Zyl was left by herself holding a solitary placard about ‘anti-Semitism’. Leader of the Labour Council, Daniel Yates wanted us prosecuted for breaking the by-laws. All these ‘democrats’ hated free speech that called into question the Apartheid State of Israel.

Yet despite having to publicise the meeting at literally half a hour’s notice, nearly 200 people turned up outraged that a tiny group of Zionists had tried to prevent Chris Williamson from speaking. In the end the Zionists held a demonstration of 12 – half from London! We demonstrated we had mass support whereas the Zionists had the support of the elites.

We then decided that we had to hire an alternative venue for the forthcoming Labour Party conference which couldn’t be cancelled (strange that the Right  usually condemn Cancel Culture except when they want to do the cancelling). The Rialto Theatre stepped in and despite the normal Zionist Twitter harassment they stood firm.

Book Launch for Bad News for Labour that Waterstones cancelled

The Rialto is an amazing venue with a hall upstairs holding 100 people and a bar downstairs in which seminars can be held.

Ken Loach popped in for the standing room only book launch

In the 2 days we could hire the Rialto we had an amazing number of meetings. The LRC, whose meeting the Quakers had also cancelled, held their meeting at the Rialto. Chris Williamson, Jackie Walker, Kerry Ann Mendoza from The Canary spoke. Ken Loach popped in to the book launch. See WE DEFIED ZIONISM'S BOOK BURNERS – FREE SPEECH TRIUMPHED AT THE LABOUR PARTY CONFERENCE THIS WEEK

The Zionists had also forced Waterstones to cancel the book launch of Bad News for Labour. This was a book authored by 5 academics – Greg Philo, Mike Berry, David Miller, Justin Schlosberg and Tony Lerman, which demonstrated the lack of evidence behind the fake ‘anti-Semitism’ witchhunt. This was the last thing the Zionists wanted – proof of their campaign of lies and deceit.  So these book burners set about bullying Waterstones, who later apologised for their cowardice, when customers let rip their disgust at their decision.

This year we have booked the Rialto for 3 days. The Zionists may huff and puff but it will be to no avail.  Like all racists and fascists, Zionists hate freedom of speech. In Israel demonstrations are attacked by the Police and armed thugs.  In Britain the Board of Deputies whines about ‘anti-Semitism’ in tandem with racists such as Boris Johnson and Sir Starmer in order to attack our democratic rights.

The Resist! Event will host a launch event at 6pm on Zoom on Friday, May 28.

The speakers will be:

Becky Massey, Hove Labour Party activist expelled on a fake charge of “anti-Semitism” by @UKLabour – for a single tweet about Chris Williamson.

Chris Williamson – the former Labour MP and founder of RESIST: Movement for a People’s Party – whose presence in Brighton in 2019 has helped inspire #TheResistEvent. Read how and why here.

Kerry-Anne Mendoza, editor of The Canary, will talk about why #TheResistEvent is so important.

Tony Greenstein, the first Jewish socialist to be expelled by @UKLabour on a fake charge of anti-Semitism. Read his blog here.

Ben Steele, of Brighton and Hove Palestine Solidarity Campaign, will speak about the need for anti-imperialism Follow: @BrightonPSC.

Esther Giles, treasurer of the Socialist Health Association, will discuss the campaign against the privatisation of the NHS. Follow her on Twitter.

Deepa Driver, chair of Camden Momentum and executive member of the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers, will emphasise the urgent need to stand up for free speech, for whistle-blowers, and for Julian Assange. Follow her on Twitter.

Jackie Walker, author, activist, and co-writer (and performer) of The LynchingFollow her on Twitter.

The meeting will be chaired by Tina Werkmann, of Labour Against the Witchhunt, one of the supporting organisations included among our launch partners. Along with Labour Left AllianceLabour Campaign for Free Speech, and the Labour in Exile Network.

If you haven’t already registered, please register here to ensure you are sent a link to the Zoom launch, which will begin at 6pm on Friday, May 28.

Our Free Speech stall on the seafront

Chris Williamson meeting at Regency Square

Greg Hadfield  introduces session on modern monetary theory


Jackie Walker speaking at the LRC fringe meeting



Session on the witchhunt

The Desperation of Sussex Friends of Israel, who have demonstrated with the EDL, at the success of our events - if they were really concerned about homophobia they would look to their favour state of Israel


16 August 2020

Brighton Black Lives Matter Demonstration Makes It Clear That Police and State Racism has NOT Gone Away


Today’s demonstration focused on the racism of Sussex Police and recited the names of Black victims of Police violence or their failure to Investigate Racist Attacks






 
 

Today’s demonstration was the smallest of the three which have so far been held in Brighton. I estimate the size was about 3,000 but it was also the sharpest politically.  It focused throughout on the question of Police Violence and the failure of Sussex Police to investigate the case of Jay Abatan, a Black man in Brighton who was murdered 20 years ago.
The main slogan, summed up in a large banner, was Silence is Compliance. As the march neared the Level we were entertained by drummers.  The reception from waiting motorists and passers by was really warm and there was no antagonism that I could discern.
Just as with the previous 2 demonstrations those taking part were overwhelmingly young and there were many Black people.
Only last week there was a violent attack by 6 police on a Black man on the pier.  Despite posing no threat the police tasered him. The link to the video, which was on Facebook has broken.  If I can find it again I will put it up.
I attach a few clips of the demonstration and photographs. Once again Brighton and Hove PSC greeted the  marchers with a big banner and the marchers reciprocated. There is little need to convince Black people and anti-racists of the connection between violence against Black people and Zionism.  After all, despite Keir Starmer pretending that it is an ‘anti-Semitic trope’ to make mention of Israel’s role in training the US cops, the links are there and self evident.  Not least from the Zionists’ own admission.
Tony Greenstein

11 July 2020

Black Lives Matter Demonstration in Brighton Meets Palestine Lives Matter


Another Monster Demonstration Against Racism and Police Violence


This was the second demonstration in Brighton for Black Lives Matter. On June 13th there was the biggest demonstration I have attended in Brighton in over 40 years living here, over 20,000.
This wasn’t as big.  I estimate between 8,000 and 10,000 but it is still one of the largest demonstrations to have been in Brighton.
Brighton and Hove PSC had a special banner for the occasion welcoming BLM. We had , as would be expected, a wonderful reception from the mainly young people on march with people showing us the clenched fist. 
What is amazing is that so many young people instantly recognised the connections between Black Lives Matter and Palestine solidarity. [see For 6 years Black Lives Matter Were Attacked as ‘anti-Semites’ by the Zionists – Today they suffer from amnesia]
Five days after George Floyd was murdered, Iyad Hallak, a 32 year old autistic Palestinian man was gunned down by Israel’s notorious Border Police because they ‘mistook’ the phone in his hand for a gun.  A ‘mistake’ they have never made in the case of an Israeli Jew. Iyad was gunned down despite his carer screaming at them that he was with her and was disabled.
Not one of the Israeli police has been arrested.  There is apparently an ‘investigation’ going on but in Israel all investigations end with at best a slap on the wrist. [see When George Floyd was Murdered There Was Outrage – When Iyad Hallak, an Autistic Palestinian was Murdered, Noone Said Anything]
That is what is so wonderful about BLM that it consists of, mainly White young people expressing their solidarity with Black people in this country and the United States.
Below are some photos.
Tony Greenstein