SWP off campus

#creepingfeminism

[swpoffcampus]

We recommend you read this

http://anonymousrefused.tumblr.com/post/99047385737/for-your-safety-and-security

[swpoffcampus]

To everyone going to Marxism 2014

 Dear all,

This is an open letter to all those on the left who are planning on visiting, participating in or speaking at the Marxism 2014 conference from the 10th to the 14th of July this year. It comes from a collective of other left activists, students and workers – we hope that you'll understand that this is in no way an 'attack on the left' or a petty sectarian squabble. In fact, we would like to see a stronger, more inclusive movement in this country and internationally where all people are able to participate and work for real liberation. And it's because of this we are asking you to reconsider, and not attend Marxism 2014.

You might already know that the festival is hosted by the Socialist Workers Party (though not everyone does when they agree to take part or buy a ticket), and that the Marxism festival is their main event of the year where they hope to boost membership and sign up hundreds of new members. The event also bolsters their reputation as one of the largest and most important groups on the left in the UK through the number and range of speakers. However, this year the diversity of speakers is not what it used to be, due to a growing number of people on the left unwilling to work with the SWP, or withdrawing public support for them. They've also had to admit in their party notes that they're now trying to recruit people with “little or no knowledge or experience of left politics”. This is because of a crisis the party is unwilling to discuss. It's the the same crisis that leads us to ask you not to support Marxism 2014 or the SWP.

In 2013, a report was leaked showing that a senior member of the Socialist Worker's Party had been accused of the sexual harassment and rape of two younger members of the party. They chose to deal with the issue internally, through their 'disputes committee' in a victim blaming show trial run by long time friends and colleagues of the man accused. To give an idea of how bad this was, the women who had come forward with the allegations were questioned on their past relationships and even asked “if it was fair to say [they] liked a drink”. These kinds of questions do nothing but lay the blame for what happened to these women on their own actions. At the end of the process, the accused 'Comrade Delta' was essentially let off the hook – although he was suspended from his public position, he stayed in the party, close to those running the show. We only know anything of what happened because other party members were so shocked that they leaked transcripts onto the internet – the SWP has been keen to hide the whole affair. When people did start to talk about it, the SWP Central Committee (the 'ruling body' of the party) responded by threatening to kick out members who wouldn't shut up and accusing those who complained of allowing 'creeping feminism' into the organisation. As if that was something terrible. This was not an isolated incident and others have since spoken out about similar cases and treatment in the organisation.

Following this, almost all of their student groups have abandoned them. But the SWP refuses to change its position or admit it did anything wrong. Individuals who have challenged them in public have been met with intimidating behaviour and abuse and been called everything from misogynists to Nazis for daring to say that these attitudes towards rape are not ok. We all feel that it's unacceptable for the SWP to carry on as if nothing has happened, covering up allegations of sexual abuse, shouting down dissent and bullying people who question them. We think that people should know about the allegations and how the SWP handled them, since they're trying to make it all disappear. Our movement should be safe from this kind of misogyny and rape apologism. Please join us in sending a clear message to the SWP that sexual abuse is not something that can be covered up, dismissed or ignored by refusing to support Marxism 2014. A left movement needs to be inclusive of women and it is vital that we reject the attitudes held by the SWP to build towards a strong, powerful movement for all.

[womanontheedgeoftyne-blog]

More on the video posted yesterday which showed stewards (identified as SWP and Solidarity (Scotland Socialists) members) at the Glasgow Bedroom Tax demo attacking people (predominantly women) attending the demo who were expressing their disgust that rape apologist SWP disputes committee member Dave Sherry was speaking from the rally platform.

[marxist-dinosaur]

A socialist organisation isn’t some kind of “magic circle” protected from the sexist attitudes and power politics of the real world. Our job as socialists is not to protect “our own” no matter what, but to root out and expose bullying, abusive and exploitative behaviour, with the ultimate goal of universal human liberation. If we don’t do it, we are letting down ourselves and the whole movement.

Daphne Lawless, Sexism on the Left (TW for discussion of rape)

[swpoffcampus]

Resource: Here is the poster we use to raise awareness about the SWP. Feel free to print it out and stick it around your campus, or ideally Marxism festival if you are in London over the Summer!

[swpoffcampus]

We made the Guardian a while back! 

[swpoffcampus]

Press release: Here's what we think of the SWP

Here's why:

The motivation behind SWP off campus and the 'creepingfeminism' hashtag is fairly simple, Whatever their faults and issues may have been in the past, the SWP's handling of rape allegations concerning a senior party member and two much younger party members at the beginning of last year was truly awful.

They chose to deal with the issue internally, through their 'disputes committee' in a victim blaming show trial run by long time friends and colleagues of the man accused. To give you an idea of how bad it was, the women who had come forward with the allegations were questioned on their past relationship and even asked “if it was fair to say [they] liked a drink”.

These kinds of questions do nothing but lay the blame for what happened to these women on their own actions. At the end of the process, the accused 'Comrade Delta' was essentially let off the hook – although he was suspended from his public position, he stayed in the party, close to those running the show.

We only know anything of what happened because other party members were so shocked that they leaked transcripts onto the internet – the SWP was keen to hide the whole affair. When people did start to talk about it, the SWP Central Committee (the 'ruling body' of the party) responded by threatening to kick out members who wouldn't shut up and accusing those who complained of allowing 'creeping feminism' into the organisation. As if that was something terrible. At this point, the SWP went into crisis mode, with factions forcing a 'special conference' that ended up reinforcing the original disputes committee decision. Comrade Delta was innocent, the issue was over. The message was clear – if you don't like it, leave the party. And a lot of people did – the SWP started haemorrhaging members. Almost all of their previously important Socialist Worker Student Societies folded in a few months.

But the SWP carried on turning up at universities and events, trying to recruit members without ever mentioning the rape crisis. When people questioned them or told them they weren't welcome, they started to become defensive and abusive – which has now become a standard tactic when they're challenged in public. Recently they called an activist 'a Nazi' for asking their paper sellers to leave an event they weren't invited to and telling them that their stance on rape is unacceptable within the left.

When posters and stalls for their flagship 'Marxism Festival' started turning up in huge numbers at universities where the party doesn't even have any members, we'd had enough. The drive to get the SWP off campus (which you could argue began with a dramatic stall trashing at the University of Sussex) took shape.The group is made up of people from various universities around the UK who are connected to radical and left politics. The SWP are keen to go on about the 'right wing press' attacking them, but that's certainly not the case here.

We've mostly come together online to organise and discuss, but those of us based near each other do get together to work face to face when possible. We all feel that it's unacceptable for the SWP to carry on as if nothing has happened, covering up allegations of sexual abuse, shouting down dissent and bullying people who question their presence or dare to tell them what they did was wrong. We think that people should know about the allegations and how the SWP handled them, since they're trying to make it all disappear.

Our campuses should be safe spaces where we aren't forced to confront this kind of misogyny and rape apologism. So far, apart from one or two angry tweets from party members, the reaction to the campaign has been very positive – it seems that pretty much any reasonable person would want to keep a group that can't take a principled stance against rape as far away from politics and our universities as possible.The Marxism Festival will be taking place between the 10th and 14th of July in central London and we're hoping that people will support us in sending a clear message to the SWP that their actions and refusal to deal with their consequences are totally unacceptable.

[swpoffcampus]

Who we are and what we are doing

Who we are

We are a group of people on the Left, who are trying to raise awareness about the SWP and their rape apology, and get the SWP off our University campuses, left campaigns and demos.

There is more detailed info on that here: http://www.jimjepps.net/?p=273

At the moment, the SWP are gearing up for Marxism 2014, which is happening in London, and is hosted by them.

We want to inform people who are going to Marxism exactly who is hosting it, and why we oppose them.

What we have done so far

- Stopped them being able to use ULU for the conference by pressuring the Sabbatical Officers, Michael Chessum and Dan Cooper to retract permission for the rooms.

- Managed to stop their after party from taking place by informing the acts of who the SWP are and about their rape apologism. All of the acts bar one pulled out.

- Put up our own #creepingfeminism posters detailing why we oppose Marxism 2014 and the SWP

- Taken down their posters when they are put up around the University of London

- Contacted people who are speaking at Marxism 2014 and asked them to pull out

What you can do

We are a national campaign, anyone can get involved. Raise awareness about the SWP and their rape apologism by posting on your Twitters, Blogs and Facebook profiles. Share our posts. Follow us on Twitter @swpoffcampus and use the hashtag #creepingfeminism. Ask the speakers for Marxism 2014 to pull out.