In Brighton, our fair city, Conservative opposition to long-running anti-arms trade campaign Smash EDO is something of a given. They support the dealing of weapons to human-rights abusing regimes and we oppose them. Recent tactics from their side have included tabling motions condemning Smash EDO's (non-existent) plans to target Jubilee celebrations or Olympic Torch ceremonies. Nothing outside the usual hurly-burly of local politics.
But something nastier has bubbled up from inside the Tory cauldron. Back on April 30th Robert Nemeth, Deputy Chairman (political) of B&H Tories (and co-incidentally manager of the office of Mike Weatherley, Tory MP for Hove) posted a claim that Smash EDO had put anti-semitic graffiti on the inside of a squatted building (since evicted). The date of the 'revelation' was well chosen – the evening before a major demonstration outside EDO MBM's factory.
That controversial graffiti in full
Robert Nemeth, presumably on the release of his ambient darkwave album Moody!
In the event the accusation boiled down to the fact the in the same building where there was a Smash EDO banner, the word 'Jew' had been enigmatically scrawled on a door. Below it somebody had sinisterly (or not) added a cross in a different colour. The fact that the building has been empty for years and has been squatted numerous times didn't stop Robert from penetrating to the dark heart of the Protocols of the Elders of Smash EDO. Fearlessly ripping off the campaign's mask of liberal hippy tolerance he denounced them as 'anti-Jew to the extreme'.
Having misrepresented these pictures to label the group as anti-Semitic, Nemeth then spent the month of May denouncing SMASH EDO via his twitter account, “@Smash_EDO followers are often anti-Jew, no doubt about it”. By 2nd May Nemeth was claiming Smash EDO had an “anti-Semetic [sic] stance”. By 27th May he was referring to Smash EDO's “militant anti-Jew stance”. On 7th June Nemeth dubbed the Summer of Resistance campaign a “Summer of anti-Semitism”. Energetically re-tweeting Rob's insights was one Graham Cox, former head of Sussex CID and now Tory Councillor.
UNDER THE WEATHERLEY?
Adding her own bile was Rachael Bates , Mike Weatherley's P.A. Choice comments include “smash edo are anti-semitic and absolutely vile” and that they were “the equivalent to Nick Griffin”. Is this all going on with Mike Weatherley's approval? We think we should be told.
The June issue of Latest Homes, an estate agent's rag that clutters up Brighton, ran a column by Nemeth where he repeated the allegations. Smash EDO wrote to them – and as soon as Latest Homes had a chance to check out the facts, the comments about the campaign were removed and and an “unreserved apology” was given. Mike Weatherley MP, however, has refused to distance himself from Nemeth's smear campaign.
Funnily enough almost as soon as Nemeth received this very public rebuke articles started to appear on Indymedia denouncing SMASH EDO for expelling its Jewish members. Needlessly to say this story is complete bullshit but it appears and re-appears on various open publishing websites. Even we've been drawn into the fray with one troll claiming that the truth about the exodus of Jews from the campaign was detailed in an 'excellent SchNEWS article'. Excellent it might be – but it doesn't exist.
Now it's almost certain that this whole smear is actually aimed at the local Greens, the Tories main rivals for control of the local council. According to Andrew Beckett, Smash EDO spokesman “Mike Weatherley seems to think that the Greens are vulnerable to accusations of running too closely with the black block. Well that's politics we guess, but to drag the spectre of anti-semitism, responsible for so much horror historically and still a real evil today, to try and grab a few votes underlines the morality of the Tory Party”
Now it's almost certain that this whole smear is actually aimed at the local Greens, the Tories main rivals for control of the local council. According to Andrew Beckett, Smash EDO spokesman “Mike Weatherley seems to think that the Greens are vulnerable to accusations of running too closely with the black block. Well that's politics we guess, but to drag the spectre of anti-semitism, responsible for so much horror historically and still a real evil today, to try and grab a few votes underlines the morality of the Tory Party”
Comments
Hide the following 12 comments
The truth that Smash EDO is 'spinning' so hard to hide
29.06.2012 10:53
Smash EDO, the Brighton based campaign dedicated to closing the local EDO arms factory betrayed its principles and stated creed when it asked three Jewish members to leave the group following a request from new members attached to the Palestinian Solidarity Group at Brighton University. The excuse being that these PSG members had previously been to Israel and felt "uncomfortable" around Jewish people, a more obvious case of clear antisemitism it would be difficult to find. Smash EDO in the face of falling support and membership grabbed the chance to get an increase in people but at the cost of bigotry and racism.
There was a clumsy attempt (regretfully aided by some of the mods here) to try and hide the expulsion with Smash EDO insiders refusing to discuss it and referring to the issue as "an internal matter that is now closed" however with the whole issue now blown wide open by the article in 'Schnews' magazine and the discussions on a number of Arms Trade Protest internet boards that has failed.
Smash EDO needs to be open and to issue an apology.
Truth giver
All very nice n everythin but...
29.06.2012 11:16
An Indymedia reader.
Hmmm.
29.06.2012 11:18
He's far too controversial.
66
@'Truth giver'
29.06.2012 11:37
You've posted a comment on a story from “'SchNEWS' magazine” claiming that the same publication is responsible for “the whole issue now [being] blown wide open” - despite the fact that they point out in the article that this is bullshit.
Feel free to post links to the SchNEWS article and maybe even these “Arms Trade Protest internet boards” (multiple posts by you pretending to be different people don't count as a “discussion” by the way).
So how many anti-Semitic members of “the Palestinian Solidarity Group at Brighton University” did Smash EDO add to its “membership” at the expense of the three Jewish members they expelled? Given that most people involved in Smash EDO also have strong links to/involvement in the PSC and many have already been to Israel/Palestine your assertion these imaginary new people would suddenly cause Smash EDO to become racist is kinda laughable.
Unfortunately, while your attempts to slander a campaign should be funny, there is genuine racism in the world and your cynical (if slightly mental) attempts to use this to your twisted means is really quite distasteful.
One more thing, are you Robert Nemeth?
(by the way I think Truth giver's comment should be left up just to show how ridiculous their smears are)
biff
@ Truthgiver
29.06.2012 11:44
This is a SchNEWS article - not only are you a troll but you're an idiot. SchNEWS never blew the whole thing wide open for the simple reason that it never happened.
Jo Makepeace
e-mail: schnews@brighton.co.uk
Homepage: www.schnews.org.uk
Nemeth tweets
29.06.2012 11:51
http://freespace.virgin.net/xxx.99/NemethTweets.html
Jo Makepeace
e-mail: schnews@brighton.co.uk
Homepage: www.schnews.org.uk
The invention of antisemitism
29.06.2012 13:29
Indeed, unless, as in this case, a Zionist made it up.
Town End Goy
Hmmm....
29.06.2012 18:00
Dave
It would help (in a case like this)
29.06.2012 18:59
MDN
@MDN
29.06.2012 21:48
Perhaps it is because you are not in the Uk that it doesn't make sense to you.
NDM
Free the oppressed.
29.06.2012 22:10
And that proves it then. Zionism is the leading cause of anti-semitism.
Jews everywhere...unite in the face of your oppressor.
Jesus Christ.
No truth in the claims about expulsions.
30.06.2012 07:37
According to 'Truth giver', "There was a clumsy attempt (regretfully aided by some of the mods here) to try and hide the expulsion with Smash EDO insiders refusing to discuss it and referring to the issue as "an internal matter that is now closed" however with the whole issue now blown wide open by the article in 'Schnews' " magazine and the discussions on a number of Arms Trade Protest internet boards that has failed.
According to SchNEWs: "Funnily enough almost as soon as Nemeth received this very public rebuke articles started to appear on Indymedia denouncing SMASH EDO for expelling its Jewish members. Needlessly to say this story is complete bullshit but it appears and re-appears on various open publishing websites. Even we've been drawn into the fray with one troll claiming that the truth about the exodus of Jews from the campaign was detailed in an 'excellent SchNEWS article'. Excellent it might be – but it doesn't exist."
According to 'Truth giver': "Smash EDO, the Brighton based campaign dedicated to closing the local EDO arms factory betrayed its principles and stated creed when it asked three Jewish members to leave the group following a request from new members attached to the Palestinian Solidarity Group at Brighton University."
The only Google hits for "Palestinian Solidarity Group" "Brighton University" are in versions of the articles posted to Indymedia sites or picked up from Indymedia by RSS feeds. No results found for "University of Brighton" "Palestinian Solidarity Group". According to the University of Brighton SU website, there is a "Friends of Palestine Society", but no ""Palestinian Solidarity Group" is listed
'Truth giver' wants SmashEDO to apologise for expulsions that didn't happen, and claims that Schnews has reported the story. Yet SchNEWs has dismissed the claims as "complete bullshit" and nolinks are given to the "discussions on a number of Arms Trade Protest internet boards", neither do they appear on google. We can conclude that 'Truth giver' is a disinformation troll who abuses open publishing sites to smear campaigns with lies.
IMCista
Homepage: https://twitter.com/smash_edo/status/218722601114148867