One of my favourite blogs is Poumista. The anonymous site owner has a keen eye for highlighting articles on the left that I find interesting. Today he points out some interesting articles about the Socialist Workers Party. I highlight two of them below:
communist students has published a letter from Claire Fisher, an SWP member, who attended an event at Marxism 2010, the SWP organised series of propaganda lectures for potential mass murderers. communist students has also published a letter from Zurowski, someone who accompanied Fisher to the event and has the misfortune of belonging to the Communist Party of Great Britain.
As he is a Leninist, Zurowski felt compelled to distribute leaflets outside the Marxism 2010 event advertising a debate hosted by his own party. This act did not amuse the SWP stewards, party members who practice snarling in front of a mirror for two hours a day. “This is our building,” a steward declared, and requested that Zurowski stop handing out leaflets. Fisher was incensed at the treatment of her friend from a competing party, and, ignoring party discipline, started handing out some of the CPGB leaflets herself. Zurowski claimed one SWP steward tried to rip the leaflets out of his hands and Fisher claims she suffered “a barrage of abuse and physical intimidation.”
Abuse and physical intimidation by the SWP of their own members, who would have thought it possible? Quite a lot of people, I suspect.
As well as that thrilling story, Poumista also links to a story reported by darren redstar:
On Tuesday 6th July the day after Marxism 2010 finished, four supporters of the IS Tendency (a man and three women) walked into a tube station near the event venue. One was wearing a Marxism 2010 tee-shirt, another carrying a Sociailst Worker poster, the other two were more anonymous. One of the women attempted to fare dodge by doubling through the barrier. The staff on duty stopped her and insisted she buy a ticket (I know it sounds trite but they were only doing their job!). An argument ensued in which the four comrades began shouting abuse at three tube workers (two of whom were members of the RMT union)…. As the abuse … heated up one comrade called a female tube worker ‘a bitch’.
How very revolutionary and radical: dodging fares and abusing union workers! What will they think of next?
Gene adds: There’s a history here.