Yesterday saw two fairly large demonstrations against the "Bedroom Tax" take place in Edinburgh and Glasgow. One of the speakers at the Glasgow rally was one Dave Sherry, leading member of the Socialist Workers Party and friend of "comrade delta". This caused outrage amongst a number of women on the march who started heckling him.
A number of women have complained about the behaviour of members of the SWP acting as stewards on the march.
A Video has been posted which can be accessed on the link below. It is difficult to hear what is being said (and I have played it a couple of times):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=BWhcYU7kc_A
There has been some debate on both the Socialist Unity and Urban 75 websites.
Anna from Glasgow says on SU:
I am not in any party, nor will I. I am a non-aligned student and a feminist. As were most of the young women there. I was there at the demo with a bunch of my friends, and I was shoved in the chest by an old male steward – and I wasn't even booing.. You can try and defend the actions of the swp all you want. But I know what I experienced. A bunch of old white male trotskyists kettled and pushed young women out of the demo. You acted exactly like the police do on demonstrations. In my opinion, if demonstrations are supposed to be safe spaces for women, then the swp should no longer be allowed near them. Some of my friends left saying that they wont come back to another demonstration if the swp are on it. You are damaging the movement by your every action.
The SWP apparently threatened to call the police which prompted Fedayn on Urban 75 to write:
And to add to the irony they threatened to get the police in to arrest the hecklers..... Bourgeois legal system eh??
Exactly.
One rule for them..........
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