Events & protests
Friday May 28, 5pm: Launch of Resist! at Labour Party conference
Labour Against the Witchhunt and a number of other organisations have got together to jointly discuss how we can intervene at this year’s Labour Party conference. Like a number of groups, we had our venues cancelled in the run up to the 2018 and 2019 conferences, when pro-Israel supporters wrongly claimed that we were supporting antisemites. In 2019, members of the Labour Left Alliance in Brighton swiftly booked The Rialto Theatre to stage a number of evening events. Register here to be kept informed about the event in September 2021.
This year, we have jointly booked the theatre for a full 3-day festival, where we can freely discuss and, importantly, organise. This exciting initiative called ‘Resist! at Labour Party conference’ will be launched on Friday May 28 at 5pm – register here. Speakers include Kerry-Anne Mendoza, Chris Williamson, Jackie Walker and Tony Greenstein.
June 5, 6pm: Palestine/Israel and academic freedom
In a number of universities, academics and staff are under threat of suspension for daring to speak out on Israel and Zionism, for example Bristol Professor David Miller. In addition, the government is threatening to defund universities who do not impose IHRA. Join us to discuss how to fight back.
Speakers include
– Norman Finkelstein
– Deepa Driver
– Moshe Machover
– Saladin Meckled-Garcia
– Ilan Pappe
– Tom Hickey (BRICUP)
Register here to attend this event: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZEtcOqrqjouE9BgQFqKVY_z8Nr6IBE9d76K
June 6, 7pm: Not the Forde Enquiry
Martin Forde QC launched his inquiry into the leaked report on the Labour Party’s Governance and Legal Unit in May 2020. The leaked report appeared to show horrific attempts by the party’s paid officials to undermine the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn – but also many mistakes made by the Corbyn leadership, which made concession after concession to the right, trying to ‘fight antisemitism’.
The Forde Inquiry was first supposed to have reported by mid-July but after successive delays it was announced that publication would be postponed until the completion of an investigation by the Information Commissioner’s Office. Many commentators believe Forde’s report is never going to appear because Keir Starmer simply wants to bury the truth.
Speakers include:
- Graham Bash, Labour Representation Committee (pc)
- Jackie Walker, author and anti-racism activist
- Leah Levane, Jewish Voice for Labour (pc)
- Chris Williamson, former Labour MP
- Tina Werkmann, Labour Against the Witchhunt
- Rebecca Massey, LLA Brighton
Register here
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)
