Jean-Marie le Pen to visit Ireland

[Qwerty Dvorak]

I dunno how many of you have heard about this but a small while ago, French fascist Jean-Marie le Pen said he would go to Ireland to campaign for a No vote against the Lisbon Treaty, and now it appears that the UCD Law Society have invited him to speak. While it is unclear whether or not he will be able to attend (he currently faces trial on charges of conspiracy to justify war crimes), if he does I think some action should be taken to oppose his arrival.

What do you guys think?

[Wanted Man]

Who is letting him speak as an opponent of Lisbon? What is the opposition against it in Ireland like?

[Tower of Bebel]

This month he is going to visit his colleagues in Belgium. He is propably trying to strengthen the right wing parties in Europe after they lost their representation as a fraction of the European parliament, due to the Rumanian fascists who left the group after a dispute with Mussolini over the Rumanian, mostly gipsies, in Italy.

[spartan]

Anyone of our Irish comrades got a sniper rifle?

[Qwerty Dvorak]

Who is letting him speak as an opponent of Lisbon? What is the opposition against it in Ireland like?

As I said, the University College Dublin Law Society have taken the initiative to invite him (allegedly). Opposition is quite strong over here, and many initiatives have been taken to discredit and oppose the Treaty. It seems the No campaign has gotten off to a lively start, while the Yes campaign has yet to get underway.

[Wanted Man]

As I said, the University College Dublin Law Society have taken the initiative to invite him (allegedly). Opposition is quite strong over here, and many initiatives have been taken to discredit and oppose the Treaty. It seems the No campaign has gotten off to a lively start, while the Yes campaign has yet to get underway.

Hmm, I gathered that much. But what is the campaign's political makeup? Is it normal for university organisations to invite such abject persons to speak? How do leftist organisations campaign?



This month he is going to visit his colleagues in Belgium. He is propably trying to strengthen the right wing parties in Europe after they lost their representation as a fraction of the European parliament, due to the Rumanian fascists who left the group after a dispute with Mussolini over the Rumanian, mostly gipsies, in Italy.
Well, no surprise there. Their shitty movements will not unite globally on account of their own backwards ideas. I bet that the coordination between the Axis powers in WWII was even more difficult than Patton and Monty (or the Soviets, for that matter).

[RedAnarchist]

Someone like Le Pen should be hounded as much as possible when he tries to spread his shit around.

[1968]

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/85829

Discussion here.

It seems quite unlikely that Le Pen will visit Ireland. Absolutely nothing is confirmed yet but if he does there will be hell. HELL.


Last time, a far right nutcase tried to visit Ireland:

David Iriving. Cork. 1999.

http://www.geocities.com/irishafa/cork.html


''David Irving, the notorious Nazi holocaust denier, was prevented from speaking in University College Cork as 600 protesters surrounded the science building, where he was due to speak...''

[Qwerty Dvorak]

But what is the campaign's political makeup?
Em that's an ambiguous question, but regarding membership (of the No campaign), the campaign consists of all sorts, many leftists but also the nationalists and (very small) far-right. Also the ignorant xenophobes/Europhobes who were disenfranchised with Europe when we started getting (shock-horror) immigrants. And anyone who hates the government (except for Fine Gael/Labour who support the treaty).

Regarding structure, there isn't really much of one yet. There's a website, http://www.voteno.ie and an organization, Libertas set up to oppose the Treaty. Other than that it's just general debate.

Regarding the political nature of the campaign to get le Pen over here, the UCD LawSoc want him to speak on the Treaty, I believe.


Is it normal for university organisations to invite such abject persons to speak?
Generally the more prestigious university societies (LawSoc, the Hist etc.) will do what they can to attract people to their debates and speeches; that means big names and controversy. There have been a few instances of societies inviting controversial figures to sepak; as 1968 pointed out, David Irving was invited to speak in UCC in 1999, and just a few months ago I saw Ian Paisley speak in TCD as part of a Historical Society thing. You can't get much more controversial than le Pen, though. Even government ministers have spoken out against his visit IIRC.


How do leftist organisations campaign?
Those that do campaign, campaign for the no vote. As regards the methods they use, it's too early to tell really (the referendum isn't until May 9th), apart from that website. I think we can expect a lot of flyers posted up around Temple Bar in the coming months, as well as petitions and small marches (drawing from what I have seen from other anti-government campaigns).

Personally I would like to see more debate within the left on the Treaty.

[Wanted Man]

I see. Thanks for the info. Will left-wing organizations mobilize to counter Le Pen, while simultaneously resisting the Lisbon Treaty and the neo-liberal projects of the European Union on a class-based perspective, as opposed to xenophobic demagoguery?

Anyway, it was sort of the same here at the time of the European Constitution referendum of 2005. On the parliamentary left, only the Socialist Party campaigned against, with a critique of neo-liberalism. On the right, two small Christian parties opposed it on a conservative, isolationist basis, while Wilders (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geert_Wilders) took the anti-immigrant stand like Le Pen nowadays. I think they pretty much campaigned separately.

At any rate, the referendum was defeated resoundingly, although the state media disingenuously claimed that it was going to be a "neck-to-neck" race, even though it was clear what the result would be. All major newspapers were in favour. The government pumped millions of euros of subsidy (our tax money!) into the parties that campaigned for a "yes" vote to tip the scales. Whereas the "no" campaign got only the measly initial subsidy. A blatantly rigged internet test was made, where anybody who indicated belief in freedom and democracy would have to go for a "yes" vote.

Ministers claimed that "the light would go off in Europe" if the referendum was defeated. The Liberals had a clip with images of Auschwitz and Srebrenica, saying that horrible events would be repeated in the case of a defeat. Due to widespread protest, they never actually broadcast it, but it was widely recognized as a dick move by then. Then MEP Eurlings claimed that opponents of the Constitution were in the same company with the French communists and Le Pen. The prime minister even made an emotional appeal for himself: "If this doesn't go through, I'll look like a fool in Europe."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_referendum_on_the_European_Constitution

Unfortunately, they still had the last laugh. The new government's researchers deemed a new referendum "unnecessary". Even during the old referendum, government party MPs already suggested that the vote should only be listened to if the people voted the "right" way. Eventually, it became consensus that the referendum was not really important, and that we'd begin with a clean sheet: either a new Constitutional referendum, or at least Lisbon. So now we're going to get the Lisbon Treaty, which is the same shit, except that it does not provide a constitutional basis and anthem "Ode to Joy". It's infuriating.