Widdecombe demo report

Here is a short report on last night’s demo at Westminster from a supporter of SR who was there. Two hundred people picketed Ann Widdecombe’s anti-abortion meeting at Central Hall, Westminster, last night, in a protest called by the Abortion Rights campaign. The lively crowd included a good proportion of young women, as well as…

Liam

February 7, 2008

1–2 minutes

Here is a short report on last night’s demo at Westminster from a supporter of SR who was there.

Two hundred people picketed Ann Widdecombe’s anti-abortion meeting at Central Hall, Westminster, last night, in a protest called by the Abortion Rights campaign. The lively crowd included a good proportion of young women, as well as many older campaigners. There were a fair number of men there too. The SWP and SP mobilised strongly for the picket, but most protestors seemed to be non-aligned. I was glad to see a couple of banners from union branches. Slogans included the old favourite ‘Not the Church, Not the State, Women Must Decide Their Fate.”

Following the defeat of an anti-choice amendment in the Lords, the Human Fertility and Embryology Bill is expected to come back to the Commons in late February, where further amendments will be moved by both anti-choice and pro-choice MPs. Nadine Dorries MP wants to lower the abortion time limit from 24 weeks to 20; others want a 13-week limit. Pro-choice MPs will hopefully be pushing for the lifting of restrictions included in the 1967 Act, such as the requirement for two doctors to authorise a woman’s decision.

The next mobilisation of Abortion Rights will be on March 8, International Women’s Day. For more info go to www.abortionrights.org.uk

7 responses to “Widdecombe demo report”

Louise

February 7, 2008 at 1:56 pm

Yeah, it was loud, rowdy and big. I enjoyed it. I did wonder when I first turned up whether there would be a big turn out. Thankfully there was. There were lots of young women there (I saw a SOAS had quite a nice DIY banner supporting a woman’s right to choose).

There were some students from Goldsmiths (the reason I know is that I was mistaken for one of them..!!). It was really good to see so many people protesting against the anti-abortionists. It seemed as well (I was wondering this) some pro-choicers got into the meeting to engage in a bit of heckling and other disruptive behaviour (good on them!). The last time I was involved in disrupting David Alton was 20 yrs ago re Alton Bill.

The cops were acting in a heavy handed way. Towards the start of the protest, the cops were shoving people who were at the front of the picket and I think they were telling the organisers they would arrest people if they went into the road. So the organisers were keeping us on the pavement.

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jj

February 8, 2008 at 10:17 pm

did GG get to speak?
how was the turn out from RR?

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Stuart King

February 8, 2008 at 10:50 pm

I think GG was at the Bethnal Green Climate Change meeting. But what was surprising was that on a good and lively demo of 200 pro-women’s rights activists neither Respects showed up as organisations. No leaflets, no banners, no placards – just a member of Soc Resistance selling the paper and giving out a leaflet for an SR public meeting.

Isn’t that strange? You would think if you were campaigning in a London election here was an ideal audience to get involved, to show where you stand in defence of women’s rights, to help build your support, get your name and ideas across.

Maybe the two Respects not only have reformist programmes but reformist ideas on how you campaign in elections – the leaflet through the door, a bit of canvassing, the odd public meeting. “It was good enough for old Labour its good enough for us” I can hear them say.

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jj

February 8, 2008 at 11:57 pm

APOLOGIES BUT I THOUGHT I READ THE SWP WERE IN LARGE ATTENDANCE. I see that this demo did not have GG at it and niether were rr.

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Liam

February 9, 2008 at 12:12 am

In less than a week members of Respect Renewal have built a meeting of 120+ on a council estate in Whitechapel in solidarity with the people of Gaza and a meeting of 50+ in Bethnal Green to build for the climate change conference. There are a number of similar things in the pipeline. There were no members of either PR or the SWP at either event. What’s your point?

Listen to the videos of GG on Palestine and Tony on climate change. We were introducing a whole new audience to radical, socialist, anti-capitalist politics. We’ve done an excellent week’s work.

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Nas

February 9, 2008 at 12:14 am

Linzee must have been there jj. And her supporters must have handed leaflets out. After all, according to Sean Docherty she can do really well across London.

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Jason

February 9, 2008 at 6:07 am

“There are a number of similar things in the pipeline. There were no members of either PR or the SWP at either event. What’s your point? ”

I guess the point is that infamously German claimed abortion rights were not a shibboleth, the Respect MP has a reactionary position on this and a woman’s right to choose is under attack.

Under such ciircumstances it would be good to make sure some members can attend an important demo or if it is not possible- in small overstretched organisations it may not be of course (which I guess is your point) at least make it a priority to put up a public pledge of support.

To be fia, your report here, Liam, does. But is it on the RR website? Not that I can see,

Good work on Gaza solidairtyy and climate change. These are not of course counterposed to fighting for abortion and reporductive rights.

Jason

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