The Socialist

The Socialist 4 August 2010

Con-Dem cuts mean: we need ‘biggest movement since poll tax’

The Socialist issue 634

We need 'biggest movement since poll tax'


'Radical' cuts require serious action

Waltham Forest's Labour council faces opposition

Coventry campaigners fight cuts of £140 million

Swansea trades council leads battle for services

Campaigners answer Bristol's 'Big Conversation'

Cuts news: Mental health services facing the axe

NSSN pledged to fight cuts


Troops out now!

Afghanistan: US strategy in disarray


Oppose divisive academies policy


Talks resume at British Airways

Angry workers strike over pay freeze and bosses' bonuses

Fighting fire service cuts

Witch-hunted Unison activist wins tribunal


Unite general secretary election


We won't be a lost generation, fight for jobs and education!

No to privatisation of our universities

For real jobs, not slave labour


Profiting from wrecking the environment

Stop the Cardiff incinerator

Save Wanstead Flats


Daily Mail admits guilt over smearing Tamil hunger striker


Campaigning at Leeds Pride


Book now for the summer camp!

Socialism 2010 - a weekend of discussion and debate


Love Parade catastrophe was entirely preventable

Garment workers demand a living wage


Asda profiting from low pay

Tories put profits before patients

Rich just carry on getting richer

Fast news


The howlers' world and ours

How the banks rip us off

 
 
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Daily Mail admits guilt over smearing Tamil hunger striker

THE DAILY Mail headline read: "Hunger Striker's £7 million Big Mac". This outrageous attack, printed on 9 October 2009, accused Subramanyam Parameswaran of eating a Big Mac while 'pretending' to be on hunger strike in Parliament Square, London.

A court found the Mail's allegation, repeated in the Sun and London Evening Standard, to be completely false.

Senan, Tamil Solidarity international coordinator

The paper claimed that policing the Tamil community protests in central London against the brutal slaughter of Tamil people by the Sri Lankan government, which the hunger strike was part of, produced a £7 million bill for the Metropolitan Police.

We in Tamil Solidarity immediately opposed this racist attack on the hunger striker and the demonstrators.

In order to highlight this slander Parameswaran was invited to address a Tamil Solidarity meeting held in Queen Mary University on 17 October 2009.

By smearing Parameswaran's courageous action the false media reports were undermining the protests and trying to divide the Tamil diaspora.

A video of the meeting was made available on the Tamil Solidarity website to help him circulate his answer to his attackers.

Unfortunately, and unforgivably, the leaders of some Tamil organisations joined the Mail in spreading its slander.

Their rotten politics also include support for the right-wing British government. In fact some still support the UK government's cooperation with the Rajapakse government in Sri Lanka!

This flawed perspective is constantly challenged by Tamil Solidarity which instead aimed to organise uncompromising fighters against all kind of oppression in every country where they are present.

We repeatedly pointed out that we cannot appeal to those forces who are in the business of oppressing and exploiting minorities in the UK and who are engaged in brutal wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Now the Mail has accepted that it lied. It is clear that the Mail's attack was not just aimed at Parameswaran, but was an attack on all Tamil protesters.

Instead of allowing protesters to be attacked, if we are serious about building the fightback against the oppressors, we must unite those forces that are fighting against oppression.

Tamil Solidarity was set up to do just this.

www.tamilsolidarity.org


In this issue

We need 'biggest movement since poll tax'


Anti-cuts campaign

'Radical' cuts require serious action

Waltham Forest's Labour council faces opposition

Coventry campaigners fight cuts of £140 million

Swansea trades council leads battle for services

Campaigners answer Bristol's 'Big Conversation'

Cuts news: Mental health services facing the axe

NSSN pledged to fight cuts


War and occupation

Troops out now!

Afghanistan: US strategy in disarray


Accademies

Oppose divisive academies policy


Workplace news and analysis

Talks resume at British Airways

Angry workers strike over pay freeze and bosses' bonuses

Fighting fire service cuts

Witch-hunted Unison activist wins tribunal


Workplace Debate

Unite general secretary election


Youth fight for jobs

We won't be a lost generation, fight for jobs and education!

No to privatisation of our universities

For real jobs, not slave labour


Environment and socialism

Profiting from wrecking the environment

Stop the Cardiff incinerator

Save Wanstead Flats


Tamil Solidarity

Daily Mail admits guilt over smearing Tamil hunger striker


Socialist Party LGBT

Campaigning at Leeds Pride


Socialist Party events

Book now for the summer camp!

Socialism 2010 - a weekend of discussion and debate


International socialist news and analysis

Love Parade catastrophe was entirely preventable

Garment workers demand a living wage


Socialist Party news and analysis

Asda profiting from low pay

Tories put profits before patients

Rich just carry on getting richer

Fast news


Review & Comment

The howlers' world and ours

How the banks rip us off


 

Home   |   The Socialist 4 August 2010   |   Join the Socialist Party

Subscribe   |   Donate   |   Bookshop

Related links:

Tamil:

triangleMullivaikal 2012 - Solidarity with the Tamil people

triangleMullivaikal 2012: Workers' unity against Rajapaksa regime

triangleSocialist MEP discusses way forward for Tamils struggle

triangleTamil Solidarity 20 April Day of Action

triangleSri Lanka's Killing Fields: War Crimes Unpunished

triangleTamil Solidarity: Gearing up for 2012

Tamil Solidarity:

triangleTamil Solidarity public meeting - Defend Tamil rights!

Solidarity:

triangleUCU joins 10 May strike - student solidarity needed

triangleBrazil - Trade unionist sacked for denouncing a death

triangleSparks protest at Conoco and solidarity with Jet tanker drivers

London:

triangleNational TUC demonstration: 'A future that works'

triangleNational Shop Stewards Network (NSSN) 6th annual national conference

triangleWest London Socialist Party: The February 1917 Russian revolution