Boycott the apartheid bankers (see below)
There’s been much talk of policing social media and the internet to stop fascists spreading their hate. But we should be wary of such moves.
A college student recently became the first woman in Britain to be locked up under new online safety laws—and she wasn’t a Nazi. She was someone who threatened to kill her estranged mother during an angry phone call.
Police arrested Jorja Cockram-Smyth after a furious call with her social worker. A probation officer later told a court Cockram-Smyth “does suffer multiple complex needs.
“She has autism spectrum disorder, learning difficulties, ADHD, dyslexia, dyspraxia, a chromosomal disorder unique to her, PTSD, and visual impairment. She clearly has large issues that are causing problems.”
Cockram-Smyth served three weeks in Styal women’s prison over the phone call. The new law makes it a criminal offence to send messages “conveying a threat of death, serious injury, rape, or serious financial loss”.
It’s obviously a difficult case, although surely sending someone to jail isn’t going to help. The main point is that when laws are passed to regulate online material, it’s the police who will decide what does and does not get targeted.
Maybe now a few fascists might be scooped up if they are particularly open in their murderous intentions. But I bet in the longer term there will be more socialists and environmental campaigners who come to the courts.
The clause prohibiting posts pushing “serious financial loss” is a gift to big business. I have no sympathy for those pushing racist filth. But I don’t want the state to have more powers like those used to jail this woman.
Anne Sutherland, West London
Barclay has announced plans to purchase the retail banking arm of Tesco Bank. Under the deal, Barclays will use the Tesco brand to offer a range of products to consumers.
This could deceive the public, denying them the ability to avoid using Barclays because of its grave involvement in Israel’s crimes against Palestinians. Barclays must not be allowed to hide behind the Tesco brand.
Barclays is deeply complicit in Israel’s genocidal assault on Palestinians in Gaza. The bank provides billions of pounds worth of financial services to arms companies supplying Israel with the weapons and military technology it is using in its attacks on Palestinians.
Tesco Bank is obliged to share any objections it receives with the High Court, which must approve the sale before it goes ahead. We need as many people objecting as possible to scupper the proposed deal.
If the sale goes ahead, the Palestine Solidarity Campaign will call for a boycott of Tesco Bank as part of its call for a boycott of Barclays. For campaigning resources go to tinyurl. com/PSCTesco
Edward Thornley, Birmingham
Don’t forget Shamima Begum. The supreme court’s refusal last week to hear her appeal against the removal of her British citizenship is another setback in a long series of reversals.
British courts have acknowledged that she is in all likelihood a child trafficking victim, groomed by the Islamic State group for sexual exploitation. Stripping her of her British citizenship leaves her effectively stateless.
But the home secretary can remove all the rights that come with a British passport from someone such as Begum, possibly without notice. If Begum has committed a crime, Britain’s justice system is more than capable of putting her on trial.
The idea that this young woman poses so great a risk that British courts cannot handle her is ludicrous. For the last five years, first heavily pregnant and then grieving the loss of two children, Begum’s home has been a prison camp run by Kurdish authorities in north-east Syria.
The neighbouring detention facility, al-Hawl, has been described by the United Nations secretary general, Antonio Guterres, as “the worst camp that exists in today’s world”. In May, the US repatriated 11 of its citizens in similar situations, and facilitated the return home of Canadian, Dutch and Finnish nationals in the same operation. Begum should come home.
Behind the razzamatazz of the Olympics here in France, president Emmanuel Macron is winning no medals for respecting democracy. Though his party lost the elections three weeks ago—more than 75 seats down—Macron is refusing to name a prime minister from the New Popular Front, the left alliance with more seats in parliament than any other grouping.
His defeated government remains in place, in the biggest insult to democracy since the Second World War. It’s not just delay.
There are even media reports he could try to insert a right winger as prime minister. We must demand a left government now, and an immediate reversal of last year’s vicious attack on retirement pensions. Mass mobilisation will be key to achieving these demands.
John Mullen Paris, France
I think there is two‑tier policing in Britain. But don’t worry, I don’t mean the same as Tommy Robinson and his racist crew.
For a start, the police are four times more likely to stop and search a black person as a white one. Then there is the slew of official reports that show the police are institutionally racist and sexist.
Instead of thinking this is a “woke” force discriminating against white people, it’s racist to the core.
Josephine Glover, Newcastle
Labour needs to take urgent action over evictions. The number of claims made by banks and landlords to repossess homes in England and Wales has reached the highest level in five years. Official figures last week showed mortgage possession claims made by lenders were up more than a third on a year earlier. We need powerful laws against evictions as well as rent caps and mass council house building.
Natasha Ruddick, South London
Thank you for being part of the outcry over the government’s decision to remove the winter fuel allowance from millions of pensioners (Socialist Worker, 7 August). It makes a very big difference to those, like me, who survive on just a little more than the limit to claim pension credit. I hope there will be a strong push to force chancellor Rachel Reeves to change her mind in the budget on 30 October.
Lawrence Jeffries, Manchester
Well done to all those who demonstrated against the far right. It made me feel safe again.
Zakaria Ahmed, Bristol
Plus: readers on Zionist football chants and the legacy of empire
Plus: readers on the far right in Scotland, The Odyssey and Jason Arday
Plus: Why socialists visiting picket lines is our bread and butter
Who provides the best terrain for struggle?
