[fse-esf] 4th ESF Press release-Declaration

[tina at cpgb.org.uk]

Strange.... I was at the demonstration and saw what was happening - it
looked rather different to what Guy is describing. A longer report will be
appearing in tomorrow's Weekly Worker, but I don't think the SWP's
'falsification of history' deserves to remain unchallenged even for another
day.

Clearly, the Greek organising committee decided (with a majority vote? with
consensus? I don't know) that the front of the march should be made up of
delegations from all over Europe - ie, like was the good practise at every
other ESF. Comrade Natascha even announced this on the Friday night at the
daily meeting of the non-existing ESF leadership ;-). There was at least
one leading SWP member present, as well as plenty of members from the SWP’s
internationalised sect, the IST. None of them disagreed with Natascha -
silence.

Then on Saturday morning, we saw members of the Greek IST section (SEK,
Genoa 2001 etc) push to the front of the march. Members of the Greek Social
Forum warned them that the front was reserved for the international
delegations - as they knew very well. 

But under the watchful eyes of SWP tops Alex Callinicos, Chris Harman and
Chris Nineham (we have taken a very good picture of them) the Greek SEK
organiser Maria Styllou organised her troops to carry on pushing to the
front. 

What then happened is truly disgusting and deserves condemnation from all
democrats and socialists in Europe. She actually organised a row of young,
female SEK comrades to be at the ‘frontline’ - obviously hoping that women
would not get pushed back. When this trick did not work out, the IST
comrades started shouting about sexism and macho-ism (just like Guy does) -
when in fact it was them who didn’t give a shit about the welfare of their
young female comrades by sending them to the ‘frontline’. 

 The SWP has been applying similar tactics in Britain and - I’m told - many
other countries where they are organised. They send women comrades to
attack critical voices and oppositionists - but they always have a row of
men behind them so that they can start fighting when people defend
themselves. 

CPGB members had leaflets ripped out of their hands by SWP women and
materials wiped off our info stalls - but we know of much worse experiences
from other people (who do not have the advantage of their publication being
read by tens of thousands of people every week). 

It was the IST who tried to sabotage the demonstration and good on the
Greek organising comrades for successfully defending the march. 

As an aside: when anarchists tried to hijack the front of our demonstration
to attack the police, there were hardly any stewards around. Where were
they? At the back, keeping the SWP in check. 

So, SWP comrades, that was really an ‘intervention’ to be proud of - and
don’t worry, everybody will know the truth about it.

With comradely greetings

Tina Becker
Communist Party of Great Britain



Original Message:
-----------------
From: Globalise Resistance office at resist.org.uk
Date: Tue, 9 May 2006 12:31:39 +0100
To: fse-esf at lists.fse-esf.org
Subject: Re: [fse-esf] 4th ESF Press release-Declaration


The Social Forum was indeed a huge success, the attendance of a large  
number of Eastern European delegates and especially the huge contingent  
from Turkey is absolutely welcome and needs to be lauded. However, a  
few corrections to the below press release are needed:
> For the first time in a European Social Forum, trade unions had a  
> significant role as members of the organizing committee.
This was not the first time. In Florence and London the trade unions  
were prominent (It may also have been the case in Paris, but it was  
more difficult to tell). In London the treasurer, and some of the key  
organisers were trade union representatives. The events received much  
input from trade Unions, both organisationally and financially. It is  
misleading to claim otherwise. 
> To the hundreds of volunteers of the Greek Social Forum, who did their  
> best for the organization of the 4th ESF. To them we owe the success  
> of the event.
It seems a little remiss to concentrate your gratitude on one group of  
the organisation. Notable was the friction in the organisation of the  
forum, perhaps a little thanks beyond your own ranks might be gracious.
> To the Greek Social Forum’s teams of safeguard that contributed in the  
> successful finishing of the rally as it was originally planned by the  
> organizing committee.
If that is referring to what I think it is, perhaps the phrase "macho,  
sexist, violent, self appointed police" might be a more accurate term  
than "teams of safeguard".

guy taylor
globalise resistance

On 8 May 2006, at 10:55, Tasos Koronakis wrote:

> 4th European Social Forum: its success exceeded even the most  
> optimistic expectations
> Press Release
> The success of the 4th European Social Forum (Athens 4-7th May)  
> exceeded even the most optimistic expectations. With 100.000 people  
> participating in the rally and with more than 35.000 participants  
> attending the seminars and workshops, the Forum proved both the  
> potential of the Greek movements and the strength of the alterglobal  
> movement. For four days, Athens was the European capital of  
> resistance, for four days, tens of thousands of people have been  
> sending the message: Another world is possible!
> Â 
> Beside the mass participation we should also mention some qualitative  
> characteristics of the 4th ESF:
> 1.       The participation of activists from Eastern Europe and
Turkey  
> was larger than ever (more than 2.000 people), showing that the Forum  
> embraces the whole continent and not just Western Europe.
> 2.       There has been mass attendance in the seminars and
workshops.  
> People came to listen and discuss, not just to browse around.
> 3.        For the first time in a European Social Forum, trade
unions  
> had a significant role as members of the organizing committee.
> 4.        Art and culture had a central place in the Forum, with
more  
> than 120 cultural events and with a participation of hundreds of  
> artists.
> Â 
> The greek social forum addresses its warmest greetings:
> ·          To the thousands of citizens from all over Greece and

> abroad who filled the streets of Athens and marched with determination  
> despite the throw of tear-gas from the police
> ·          To the hundreds of volunteers of the Greek Social
Forum,  
> who did their best for the organization of the 4th ESF. To them we owe  
> the success of the event.
> ·          To the Greek Social Forum’s teams of safeguard that

> contributed in the successful finishing of the rally as it was  
> originally planned by the organizing committee.
> Â 
> Â 
> The groups that used the demonstrators as a protection shield between  
> them and the police, showed with their actions that they consider the  
> Forum and its people as enemies. Their behavior during Saturday’s  
> rally is a sample of an extreme authoritarian political behavior.
> With the closing of the 4th ESF, we have every reason to be optimistic  
> for the potential of the alterglobal movement as well as for the  
> forthcoming struggles in Greece. All those of us who were present in  
> the events taking place in the 4th ESF, sensed the breath of a  
> forthcoming Spring…
>
>  The press office
>  of the Greek Social Forum
>  Â 
>
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> http://login.yahoo.com/config/mail?.intl=gr <Declaration of the  
> Assembly of the  
> Movements.doc><4thESF_press.doc>_______________________________________ 
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