Bill Ward, Grimsby Socialist Party
When Sky TV announced it would be broadcasting a ‘leaders’ debate’ from a venue in Grimsby, members of Grimsby Socialist Party realised this would be a great opportunity to promote our general election campaign.
Undemocratically largely excluded from the capitalist media, we decided to organise a protest outside the venue. But which venue and at what time?
Sky did not mention it in their invitation to be part of the audience, a security blanket was imposed. The local rumour mill went into overdrive.
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition candidate for Great Grimsby and Cleethorpes, Mark Gee, was not even allowed to attend as an audience member. Fortunately, the daughter of one of our supporters was successful, and we learned that the audience was to assemble at a hotel just outside Grimsby for 4pm, from where they would be transported to the venue. What lengths the capitalist politicians will go in attempting to avoid Grimsby’s angry working-class electorate!
Increased police activity around the Town Hall gave us the first clue as to the venue. We set the time and place for our protest and invited members of the anti-war group Grimsby Palestine Supporters to join us. The response was encouraging.
The crowd increased to around 50, pulling in passers by too. A small group of Reform UK supporters over the road were outnumbered and outchanted! An increase in volume greeted the guests as they arrived; who included Labour’s Wes Streeting, the Tory human oxymoron James Cleverley, and finally the warmongers Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer.
Although they didn’t acknowledge our presence, they couldn’t ignore us completely. “The noise from our voices could be heard from inside the event so, although ‘SnS’ scuttled up the steps to the Town Hall without any acknowledgement of our presence, our calls for Palestine could not be ignored after all!”, it was reported in one local WhatsApp group.
As a follow-up, we have organised a public meeting on 17 June, inviting those at the protest to attend.
