Events & protests

Saturday February 13, 2pm – 6.30pm

Contributors include Norman Finkelstein, former Labour MP Chris Williamson, Jackie Walker (Labour Against the Witchhunt), Naomi Wimborne-Idrissi (Jewish Voice for Labour), anti-apartheid veteran Ronnie Kasrils, Sami Ramadani (Stop the War Coalitin), Jamie Stern-Weiner (expert on IHRA) and David Miller (University of Bristol).

The proposed detailed running order and all motions are available here

DRAFT AGENDA:

1) Political basis of campaign:

  • Our name: Proposals include ‘Labour Campaign for Free Speech’ and ‘Campaign to Defend Free Speech’
  • Our Main Aims (draft submitted by LAW steering committee)
  • Our proposed Charter for Free Speech (draft submitted by LAW steering committee). Amendments here

2) Our strategy: How to take the campaign forward

  • Why we oppose the EHRC (Tony Greenstein) – here
  • Liberty (Tony Greenstein) – here 
  • Labour Party rights (Tina Werkmann) – here
  • Wikileaks (Steve Freeman) – here
  • Non-Labour news (Mark El Khadi) – here
  • Progressive quilting (Nicola Grove) here

3) Elections to steering group

Deadlines:

  • Motions (including amendments and alternative versions of the Draft Charter and the Main Aims): February 3, midnight
  • Amendments: February 8, midnight
  • Emergency motions and amendments will only be accepted at the discretion of the chair. Conference can overrule any decisions by the chair by simple majority.
  • Nominations for steering committee open now, but will be accepted on the day
  • Email info@labouragainstthewitchhunt.org

More details and speakers to be confirmed.

Register here for the event

The videos from the launch rally for ‘Campaign for Free Speech’ are now available:

How and why Free Speech is coming under increasing attack 

Chair: Jackie Walker

Speakers (all in personal capacity):

  • Graham Bash (Labour Briefing)
  • Kerry-Anne Mendoza (editor, The Canary)
  • Jonathan Coulter (Lib Dems for Free Speech)
  • Chris Williamson (former Labour MP)
  • Moshé Machover (Israeli socialist, co-founder of Matzpen)
  • Craig Murray (journalist reporting on the Julian Assange campaign)

-> Plus: Presentation of the Draft Charter for Free Speech (draft here ) and conference on Saturday January 23 2021, introduced by Kevin Bean

 

The international campaign to oppose the IHRA fake definition of antisemitism and the fight for free speech in schools and universities

Chair: Tina Werkmann

  • Tony Greenstein (Jewish blogger, Labour Against the Witchhunt)
  • Ilan Pappé (Israeli historian, University of Exeter)
  • Leah Levane (Jewish Voice for Labour)
  • Ronnie Kasrils (anti-apartheid veteran)
  • Ronnie Barkan (Jewish author and activist, living in Berlin)
  • Steve Zeltzer (US activist)
  • Rowan Gaudet (Independent Jewish Voices Canada)

VIDEO: The Labour leadership elections and our tasks (filmed April 14 2020)

After Keir Starmer’s election to leader of the Labour Party, we discussed how we can continue the fight:
* to defend freedom of speech in our party,
* to stop the misuse of trumped up charges to remove left candidates, and
* to reject the IHRA mis-definition of anti-Semitism

We also want to continue to campaign to stop Starmer from implementing the Board of Deputies’ so-called ‘10 Pledges’ – one of his first announcements. Our open letter to Rebecca Long-Bailey on this issue has been signed by almost 5,000 people and a number of organisations: https://bit.ly/2VaLWX3

We also discussed our response to the leaked Labour Party report that was produced in response to the investigation by the Equality and Human Rights Commission and which gives us proof of the warfare and sabotage committed against Corbyn and the hundreds of thousands who joined the party in order to support him in the fight for socialist change.

1) Welcome and opening remarks (co-chair Tina Werkmann)
2) The Labour leadership elections and our tasks
Introduced by Jackie Walker and Graham Bash (both members of the steering committee LAW) and Moshe Machover, honorary president of LAW