Stop thuggery in workers’ movement!

international | rights, freedoms and repression | other press

Sunday July 15, 2007 13:33

by John Cornford

An allegation of disgraceful behaviour has been made against a leading member of the English SWP. To clarify what actually occurred n indepebndent investigation will be required. Here is an extract of an article from the Weekly Worker, 12 July 2007.

This year’s Marxism was marred by a disgraceful physical assault by SWP national organiser Martin Smith. On July 7, the second full day of Marxism, Socialist Workers Party national organiser Martin Smith physically assaulted comrade Simon, a member of the Communist Party of Great Britain and the Tower Hamlets branch of Respect.

The attack occurred while the comrade was waiting for the session on ‘Organising for fighting unions’ to begin. He was not, as has later been alleged, “heckling and shouting”.

The SWP’s national organiser angrily demanded comrade Simon’s ticket to the Marxism event and, when he refused, Smith instantly attacked him. Wrestled to the floor, comrade Simon sustained bruising, abrasions and back strain. A second SWPer joined in the attack and together they went through the comrade’s pockets and bag in an attempt to confiscate his ticket.

This is a completely disproportionate and quite frankly cowardly way of behaving. An unwarranted expulsion has been compounded by an unwarranted physical assault. And all this demeans and brings further damage to our already demeaned and badly damaged movement. The Stalinite spirit is still alive and flourishing in our ranks. It reveals that the secret policeman’s morbid fear of criticism and the undemocratic and uncivilised way of handling differences have not been banished as they ought to have been.