CARNIVAL MARCH TO SAVE LEWISHAM'S LIBRARIES

[leenewham]

Carnival March to Save Lewisham Libraries Sat 30th October.
Assemble Crofton Park Library 12.15pm.

MORE DETAILS HERE:
http://sydenhamlibrary.wordpress.com/20 ... ibraries/a

[leenewham]

[Big Ben]

Carnival demo news here

http://www.sydenhamsociety.com/2010/10/ ... rary-cuts/

[leenewham]

And more images here on the Friends of Sydenham Library Blog:

http://sydenhamlibrary.wordpress.com/20 ... ures-no-1/

[Robin Orton]

I followed the link to Joyce Treasure's Flickr photostream http://www.flickr.com/photos/joycetreas ... 278073946/. From the fuller selection of photographs there, I was led to wonder whether the march might in the event have been dominated by hard Left political organizations, including John Hamilton's Lewisham People Before Profits ( 'green socialists'), and the Socialist Party (Trotskyite), who between them seem to have produced a lot of the banners, and by trades unions. Is that a fair assessment?

[leenewham]

You wil have to ask someone who went Robin, I have been working all weekend (and still am now!) so couldn't make it.

[Eagle]

To be honest these sort of demos tend to be dominated by left wing groups who just want to create problems for Her Majesties Government.

Libraries should remain open wherever possible but must admit libraries are not what they were.
I complained a while ago that people were on Mobiles and talking loudly and I was told Libraries had changed their function. For the worse I am afraid.

The New F H Library has probably less than 50% of the books of the old one. Food machines etc.

[Tim Lund]

Robin:

Well, I was there, and indeed there was the show from hard left organisations you would expect. At the beginning some of them chose to shout down Heidi Alexander, Joan Ruddock and Liam Curran - which is the sort of behaviour which, if those on whom the decision is incumbent do decide to close the Libraries, will make it easier for them to dismiss the opposition as just the usual suspects indulging themselves again.

To ask if the hard left dominated the march is a bit like asking if the background of a picture dominates because it takes up more space. Almost any news picture would show this, but here's one to make the point from the new SydSoc site

[Eagle]

Hi Tim
Is that Gryff Rees Jones in the picture or his double.

I do hope the extreme left do not hijack the event as that is the surest way it will get no where.

[Tim Lund]

Hi Eagle:

It is indeed Gryff Rees Jones.

What you say about being hijacked by the extreme left is what I was trying to say - in possibly the most convoluted sentence I have ever produced. But it's only possible to be hijacked by them if you chose to listen to them. Hardly any one will, which is why they have to shout so loud.

[leenewham]

Hahaha, I like that Tim.

Read more about what went on here:

http://sydenhamlibrary.wordpress.com/

[John Hamilton]

I would like to clarify a misconception which Robin Orton may have propagated:

"...I was led to wonder whether the march might in the event have been dominated by hard Left political organizations, including John Hamilton's Lewisham People Before Profits ( 'green socialists'), and the Socialist Party (Trotskyite), who between them seem to have produced a lot of the banners..."

Lewisham People Before Profit has never claimed to be either green or socialist and I am surprised that you regard it as "hard left". It is a forum and a political party which includes people from a very wide range of views and occupations - it has policy supportive of small businesses and includes members of the Socialist Party, the Green Party and even former conservatives. We are merely united by the view that Lewisham Council should put the people of Lewisham before private profit and for that reason are opposed to privatisation of public services. Some of us DID heckle the Labour MPs who attempted to address the Libraries March on Saturday - Heidi Alexander clearly did nothing when Deputy Mayor to prevent Steve Bullock from pursuing his privatisation agenda and wrecking public services in Lewisham. For a clear understanding of Lewisham People Before Profit I suggest that Robin visits http://www.LPBP.org.uk and downloads our Manifesto.

John Hamilton

[Bram]

John Harrison writes:

Lewisham People Before Profit has never claimed to be ... socialist

but would he deny himself being socialist? If not, then does that make Lewisham People Before Profit a front organisation?

[Robin Orton]

John, my assumption that LPBP were 'green socialists' was this 'green socialist' webpage http://westlewishamgreensocialist.blogs ... rofit.html where Nick Long says that 'we' have asked the Electoral Commission for permission to change 'our' party name to LPBP. If I've misinterpreted this, apologies - but I hope you'll agree it's easy to do so!

[Tim Lund]

John, you write

Some of us DID heckle the Labour MPs

Wrong. That was trying to stop them being heard. Heckling is funny, and does not make the people who do it seem stupid.

[Muddy Waters]

I think "shout down" is the proper description.

For ordinary non-political folk who had joined a non-political Carnival March, with some children dressed up as book characters, and who wanted to show solidarity with campaigners who have worked hard on their behalf to try to keep the threatened libraries open, the public support of the MPs was welcomed.

The behaviour of those who decided to jump on the bandwagon with a different agenda and try to drown out speeches of support was totally unacceptable and completely undemocratic.