Great success of London ESF
Socialist Worker Issue 1924 | 20.10.2004 15:53 | European Social Forum | Globalisation
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY happened during the long weekend of 15-17 October. The beautiful, crazy, creative chaos of a great social forum—which I have witnessed in Porto Alegre, Florence, Paris and Mumbai—came to rainy, grey north London.
Great success of London ESF
Alex Callinicos
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY happened during the long weekend of 15-17 October. The beautiful, crazy, creative chaos of a great social forum—which I have witnessed in Porto Alegre, Florence, Paris and Mumbai—came to rainy, grey north London.
The main site of the European Social Forum at Alexandra Palace was seething with people, noise, political projects, stalls, and hubbub of many different languages. It was, in George Galloway’s words, a true Tower of Babel.
Just like at the Fortezza at the first European Social Forum in Florence and the site of the last World Social Forum in the Bombay suburbs, having the ESF mainly in one place helped both to concentrate and to release the energies of the movements against capitalist globalisation and imperial war.
How did London compare with the previous ESFs in Florence and Paris? My impression, and that of the people to whom I have spoken, is that the discussions were more serious and focused.
There were fewer plenary sessions at which a long row of platform speakers would make repetitive denunciations of neo-liberalism. Certainly the sessions I attended were of a very high standard.
All had interesting and controversial introductions, large, engaged audiences, and substantial discussion from the floor.
All of this is an indication of an intellectual maturing of our movements. But London was also, like Florence, red—deeply shaped by the politics of the radical left. This was on show, for example, in the plenary on challenging US imperialism, by all accounts one of the best sessions at the entire ESF.
Along with, among others, Fausto Bertinotti of Rifondazione Comunista and Andrew Murray of the Stop the War Coalition, I spoke at a packed plenary on political parties, social movements and war. Contributors from the floor criticised the left wing MP Diane Abbott for remaining in the Labour Party.
This set the scene for a magnificent Respect rally on the final night of the forum that brought together representatives of the political challenges to Tony Blair’s kind of Third Way politics from right across Europe.
There was a downside to the ESF. There were a few ugly incidents that marked the re-emergence of the anarchist Black Bloc whose thuggish behaviour during the Genoa protests of July 2001 played so disastrously into the hands of the police.
The Black Bloc was supported by some small and unrepresentative groups that had been consistently hostile both to the ESF itself and to the coalition that brought it to London.
The physical attacks these people made on the forum no doubt reflected frustration at the fact that the various rival events they organised attracted very small numbers. But this was a minor blemish on an overwhelmingly successful event.
The positive effects of the London ESF are likely to be seen in three ways.
First, while the anti-war movement has been very strong in Britain, the anti-capitalist movement has been much weaker. There is a broad anti-capitalist consciousness evident, for example, in the popularity of Naomi Klein and George Monbiot.
But the organised networks aren’t on the scale of ATTAC in France or the No Global movement in Italy. The London ESF should help to make anti-capitalism a more powerful force in Britain.
Secondly, there are the mobilisations that will emerge from the ESF. The final day’s Assembly of the Social Movements agreed international protests against neo-liberalism and war on 19-20 March 2005 and the mobilisation against the Group of Eight summit in Gleneagles next July.
Finally, the success of the London ESF will help to frame discussion about the future of the movement. A French comrade said that activists in France and Italy were struggling to find the “second breath” needed to re-energise their movements.
The vitality on display in London should help give us the confidence to continue. Of course, we face very great challenges—the punishment served out to the peoples of Fallujah and Gaza in recent weeks bears witness to this. But after last weekend I am sure we have the capacity to take them on.
Alex Callinicos
SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY happened during the long weekend of 15-17 October. The beautiful, crazy, creative chaos of a great social forum—which I have witnessed in Porto Alegre, Florence, Paris and Mumbai—came to rainy, grey north London.
The main site of the European Social Forum at Alexandra Palace was seething with people, noise, political projects, stalls, and hubbub of many different languages. It was, in George Galloway’s words, a true Tower of Babel.
Just like at the Fortezza at the first European Social Forum in Florence and the site of the last World Social Forum in the Bombay suburbs, having the ESF mainly in one place helped both to concentrate and to release the energies of the movements against capitalist globalisation and imperial war.
How did London compare with the previous ESFs in Florence and Paris? My impression, and that of the people to whom I have spoken, is that the discussions were more serious and focused.
There were fewer plenary sessions at which a long row of platform speakers would make repetitive denunciations of neo-liberalism. Certainly the sessions I attended were of a very high standard.
All had interesting and controversial introductions, large, engaged audiences, and substantial discussion from the floor.
All of this is an indication of an intellectual maturing of our movements. But London was also, like Florence, red—deeply shaped by the politics of the radical left. This was on show, for example, in the plenary on challenging US imperialism, by all accounts one of the best sessions at the entire ESF.
Along with, among others, Fausto Bertinotti of Rifondazione Comunista and Andrew Murray of the Stop the War Coalition, I spoke at a packed plenary on political parties, social movements and war. Contributors from the floor criticised the left wing MP Diane Abbott for remaining in the Labour Party.
This set the scene for a magnificent Respect rally on the final night of the forum that brought together representatives of the political challenges to Tony Blair’s kind of Third Way politics from right across Europe.
There was a downside to the ESF. There were a few ugly incidents that marked the re-emergence of the anarchist Black Bloc whose thuggish behaviour during the Genoa protests of July 2001 played so disastrously into the hands of the police.
The Black Bloc was supported by some small and unrepresentative groups that had been consistently hostile both to the ESF itself and to the coalition that brought it to London.
The physical attacks these people made on the forum no doubt reflected frustration at the fact that the various rival events they organised attracted very small numbers. But this was a minor blemish on an overwhelmingly successful event.
The positive effects of the London ESF are likely to be seen in three ways.
First, while the anti-war movement has been very strong in Britain, the anti-capitalist movement has been much weaker. There is a broad anti-capitalist consciousness evident, for example, in the popularity of Naomi Klein and George Monbiot.
But the organised networks aren’t on the scale of ATTAC in France or the No Global movement in Italy. The London ESF should help to make anti-capitalism a more powerful force in Britain.
Secondly, there are the mobilisations that will emerge from the ESF. The final day’s Assembly of the Social Movements agreed international protests against neo-liberalism and war on 19-20 March 2005 and the mobilisation against the Group of Eight summit in Gleneagles next July.
Finally, the success of the London ESF will help to frame discussion about the future of the movement. A French comrade said that activists in France and Italy were struggling to find the “second breath” needed to re-energise their movements.
The vitality on display in London should help give us the confidence to continue. Of course, we face very great challenges—the punishment served out to the peoples of Fallujah and Gaza in recent weeks bears witness to this. But after last weekend I am sure we have the capacity to take them on.
Socialist Worker Issue 1924
Comments
Hide the following 11 comments
more spin and gloss from the swp
20.10.2004 21:28
see this for a starter:
"Stop using race to smother dissent: another letter to The Guardian"
Please accept an 'award' for the first person to start the 'black bloc' spin - only taken you four days to come up with that one!!!!!
dasmian
yea
20.10.2004 23:01
I mean next thing they will be thinking that the opionions of the 19,000 people who attended the ESF are somehow as important as ours, and then where would we be??
Sonic
er...
21.10.2004 00:51
i can't see anywhere, where i said the swp weren't allowed an opinion????!
and i don't understand the relevence or where you are coming from, in your last sentence "... opionions of the 19,000 people who attended the ESF..."?
are you trying to imply something that backs up your opinion?
i personally have no indea of what the 190000 individual opinions are, and would be very wary of clumping them into one big group, if that indeed could ever be possible!!!!!!!!
also, what exactly am i doing, which is any different to your posts?
dasmian
Party Parliamentary Politics and the Criminalisation of Dissent
21.10.2004 00:56
First they say people dissenting are white anarchists attacking black people, then they say they are the black bloc...
Ignoring tha fact that the lines about Genoa 2001 are utterly insulting and draw away from the fact the violence was endemic and that most italian police attacks were RANDOM AND DIRECTED AT ANY POOR FUCKING PERSON WHO HAPPENED TO BE IN REACH OF THE BASTARD SECURITY FORCES, to say that the important views expressed during the interventions were of a small unrepresentatibe group without support is so obviously untrue.
To also try and spin in the left media that the interventions were as some result of the failure of the alternative, autonomous events is quite frankly absurd also. The autonomous spaces attracted thousands of participants. There were well over 200 events (compare that to the offical final esf press release saying the official esf had 500 events... PS it was never a competition...) and many of the 200 autonomous events were full. It is true also that the official esf had many sessions only half full, just as it is true that so did the autonomous spaces, but to say the autonomous spaces events failed and attracted very small numbers is quite simply just another lie. A lie seemingly peddled to try and again cover up the fact that there was deep disquiet over the way the forum was organised this year.
I think one of the clearest examples of what has been going on was that on sunday some of the autonomous initiatives accomodated hundreds of people in squats and so on, who had previously been sleeping in ESF accomodation, but which had closed on sunday.
That we are having this debate at all now shows that something is very wrong.
We have one basic accusation over someone being punched, being spun up to a dangerous level of brinkmanship politics, where someone is trying to make those people who have for the most part of a year been organising alongside or being critical of the way the social forum is organised, synonymous with the image of violence, trying to identify these political views with images of some uber bogeyman, some mythic racist white anarchist hooligan black bloc demon figure...
Reality check please...
People have always known the esf process in the uk has been a clash of cultures, mostly between those who mainly view the esf as a political conference event, and those who think the way it is organised should be the fundamental basis of any attempt to build another possible world. I think many of those who are critical have always been willing to, and indeed wanting to, discuss the core values of the esf and the way the organising process should reflect these values. However I don't think anyone was prepared for the way that the more authoritarian groups have now entered into this war of smeer tactics.
Think about it.
Read the various indymedia postings on these issues.
And be sure that no single bit of writing, rhetoric, or propaganda is going to give you the full picture.
There is now one and a half year before the next ESF.
You can be sure the various issues around the way the social forum is organised will become a key issue during the next year. And so they should... it's long overdue.
(think about it)
A Bit of a Marxist Liberal Authoritarian.
21.10.2004 01:09
Most reports said the ESF was at least complimented by the autonomous spaces. But not Calinicos he characterises them as thuggish, and at the same time slyly denigrates and misrepresent 'The Black Bloc'.
His claim that anarchists/libertarians got violent because events that they promoted were poorly attended is impudent and, frankly, disgusting. Disgusting in the same way the Lee Jasper played the race card against the legitimate protests for democratic process. How can you give these people love and understanding, when they are stable, highly intelligent, determined, nasty, dishonest fuckers.
This sort of political dishonesty is the antitheses of the ESF spirit which his report celebrates.- the little hypocrite.
His views on the anti-capitalist movement are idiosyncratic, and I am not sure whether the SWP are in it some or all of the time, or not at all. Or even whether Calinicos has given himself a senior position. What’s sure is that when Calinicos - a bit of a marxist liberal authoritarian - works out the anti-capitalist movement is anarchist/libertarian, he’ll be out like a shot.
Harry Hamlet
sorry
21.10.2004 12:58
Again, sorry.
Sonic
ESF and SWP betray car workers strike in Germany
22.10.2004 11:34
As I had expected, the recent socialist worker issue fails to mention the strike of General Motors car workers in Bochum car plant in Germany gainst cuts of 12.000 jobs threatended by "Detroit". (The strike has been sold out by the union on Wednesday 20th midday.
But what was significant is the fact that for more than 25 years worker in Germany struck without any permission from - or support by - the unions. They struck for nearly 8 days and slowed down production in all of Europes GM´s car plants.
The Ruhr Area - the Yorkshire of Germany - has seen a change from steel and coal to manufacturing in the 1970/80ies. It has seem many a time hard industrial strife. This produced over the past 130 years a special working class culture and a close knit community. Therefore the strike in Bochum was supported by almost all levels of the lower classes. Local radio stations served soup to the pickets, small shop owners brought food or donated money. Workers of other industries visited the pickets to show their solidarity.
German Labour party politicians, the metall workers union´s local and national leaders did their outmost to stop this strike - which was organised from below by the shop stewards and no-office holding shop fllor militants. What the union agreed to was to call for a European day of action of all General Motors car workers in Europe (including England) on last Tuesday, 19th. Workers of GM car factories in Sweden, Poland, Antwerp and all GM plants in Germany followed the call.
But the unions role was sinister. They did little to mobilize for the day of action. In Dortmund on a rally of almost 40.000 angry workers and citizen supporters they used the opportunity to sya: "go back to work" - the union organised also speakers from both the protestant and catholic church (many of the Ruhr´s inhabitants´ have polish roots). So priests and bishops told the strikers: "go back to work".
According to German trade union activists, the ESF organisers prevented a call for solidarity for the strikers and a moblisation for the European day of action. This was prevented in order not to embarras the TUC who financed the ESF.
Interestingly enough, socialist worker - who usually "sell" to us the tiniest strike anywhere in the world as a "GREAT STEP FORWARD! WE WIN! SOLID! BLAH! BLAH!" - this time do not report on a major industrial battle of European proportians. Why?
Guess who
look there all soooo different
22.10.2004 13:56
why do they cover there faces when they are speaking to the movement?
where are the black faces and where are the women?
hmmm...so many questions....
the truth
ESF spelt backwards is SWP
22.10.2004 17:20
He saw "beautiful, crazy, creative chaos" and "vitality on display" in Alexandra Palace, where others saw a boring conference setup, catered for by commercial outlets with badly paid workers.
Whereas he thinks that grassroots groups who intervened in the official esf where "frustrated at the fact that the various rival events they organised attracted very small numbers" - as if these events could be measured against the short-sighted benchmark of the SWP. Looking back at the autonomous spaces, there was not much to be frustrated about.
He talks about "Black Bloc" and its "thuggish behaviour" - I wonder if he meant the riot cops in Kings Cross? He complains about "physical attacks" - surely he refers to the brutal arrest a member of the ESF organising comitee and an activist from a renowned grassroots group in Trafalgar Square????
A video about these incidents can be watched here:
"The Black Bloc was supported by some small and unrepresentative groups that had been consistently hostile..."
If the Black Bloc in the ESF-scenario was the Riot Police or maybe the FIT team, then the small and unrepresentative groups mentioned might be the management of the SWP, RESPECT, SOCIALIST ALLIANCE etc?
""
jablon
"Great censorship" by ESF and SW paper
22.10.2004 17:31
unbroken spirit of first wild cat strike for thirty years
As I had expected, the recent socialist worker issue too fails to mention the strike of General Motors car workers in Bochum car plant in Germany gainst cuts of 12.000 jobs threatended by "Detroit". (The strike has been sold out by the union on Wednesday 20th midday.
But what was significant is the fact that for the first time since 1973 workers in Germany struck without any permission from - or support by - the unions. They struck for nearly 8 days and slowed down production in all of Europes GM´s car plants. Most importantly they questioned industrial relations in Germany. Unions and Labour politicians are beginning to lose their legetimacy among workers.
The Ruhr Area - the Yorkshire of Germany - has seen a change from steel and coal to manufacturing in the 1970/80ies. It has seem many a time hard industrial strife. This produced over the past 130 years a special working class culture and a close knit community. Therefore the strike in Bochum was supported by almost all levels of the lower classes. Local radio stations served soup to the pickets, small shop owners brought food or donated money. Workers of other industries visited the pickets to show their solidarity.
German Labour party politicians, the metall workers union´s local and national leaders did their outmost to stop this strike - which was organised from below by the shop stewards and no-office holding shop fllor militants. What the union agreed to was to call for a European day of action of all General Motors car workers in Europe (including England) on last Tuesday, 19th. Workers of GM car factories in Sweden, Poland, Antwerp and all GM plants in Germany followed the call.
But the unions role was sinister. They did little to mobilize for the day of action. In Dortmund on a rally of almost 40.000 angry workers and citizen supporters they used the opportunity to sya: "go back to work" - the union organised also speakers from both the protestant and catholic church (many of the Ruhr´s inhabitants´ have polish roots). So priests and bishops told the strikers: "go back to work".
According to German trade union activists, the ESF organisers prevented a call for solidarity for the strikers and a moblisation for the European day of action. This was prevented in order not to embarras the TUC who financed the ESF.
Interestingly enough, socialist worker - who usually "sell" to us the smallest work place protest anywhere in the world as a "GREAT STEP FORWARD! WE WIN! SOLID! BLAH! BLAH!" - this time do not report on a major industrial battle on a european scale.
I´d be interested to read, why this was censored by the ESF and SW.
Cliffist
SW sister org has more brain: "There were problems with the forum"
22.10.2004 17:49
"Building another Europe
Donnie Nicholson, Scottish Socialist Youth organiser, reports from the European Social Forum in London.
At the third European Social Forum, young people and radical socialists argued that peace, unity and equality - the slogans of the anti-capitalist movement - could only be achieved through a mass movement of the working class with a socialist program.
At the same time, there was much on offer at the 30,000 strong gathering for us to learn from. From colourful and energetic ways of protesting, with live music and sound systems, to inclusive ways of holding meetings, and the importance of direct action, we can take the best elements of the anti-capitalist ‘movement’ and incorporate them in our politics.
Well over 100 people travelled from Scotland, including a 30-strong contingent from Scottish Socialist Youth, many of whom spent the weekend dossing down with 5,000 other young people in the Millennium Dome.
At least they finally found something useful to do with it!
The ESF itself was not without controversy. On Friday, a large seminar was disrupted by a small group of protesters who drowned out Subhi Al Mashadari, a leading Iraqi union bureaucrat accused of being a stooge of George Bush.
Then on Saturday evening, a crowd of 200 protesters walked into the main rally and denounced the ESF from the stage.
The protestors complained that the forum was over-priced, undemocratic and hierarchical, and they hung a large banner which read “Ken’s Party = War Party”.
While their aggressive manner did not go down well, many activists agreed there were problems with the forum.
Why were so many groups marginalised during the organising meetings? Why was Ken Livingstone used as the figurehead, when he has just cuddled up to Blair, and recently told striking rail workers to cross picket lines?
Why was there space at the main plenaries for right-wing union bureaucrats, but no space for fighting left wingers such as Mark Serwotka of the civil service union or Bob Crow of the railworkers?
Why was the ‘anti-capitalism’ slogan dropped from the ESF banner?
Highlights for the SSP included Jonathan MacPherson addressing the session on How Young People Can Change The World and Rosie Kane’s intervention at the asylum plenary, which was greeted with rapturous applause.
On Sunday there was a mass march through London to protest against war under the ESF’s slogan ‘Another World Is Possible’.
Afterwards the marchers were entertained in Trafalgar Square by Palestinian rappers D.A.M. and former Libertines singer Peter Doherty, despite torrential London rain.
The ESF was a great experience for the young people who attended. It allowed us to network with like-minded people across the world.
Now we have to make sure that we’re not just a talking shop, and take forward what we have learned into our activity in the coming year."
Cliffist