Glastonbury’s Cancellation of The Big Lie Is A Surrender to Corporate Interests, Racism & Apartheid – It is also an Attack on Free Speech
The hypocrisy of the British Establishment and its servile echo chambers in the Labour movement knows no bounds.
On 11 May the Higher Education (Freedom of Speech) Act became law. On 1 June a Free Speech Tsar (a strange title since the Tsar didn’t believe in free speech!) Arif Ahmed, a philosophy professor at the University of Cambridge, was appointed.
Arif Mohamed is a political chameleon. The misnamed Campaign Against Anti-Semitism had railed against Ahmed as he had denounced the IHRA definition of ‘anti-Semitism’. As Liar Lee Harpin of the Jewish News reported on 16 January 2023:
In a blog written in February 2021, Ahmed wrote: “I am strongly against Gavin Williamson’s requirement that universities adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism.”
“This ‘definition’ is nothing of the kind; adopting it obstructs perfectly legitimate defence of Palestinian rights.
“As such it chills free speech on a matter of the first importance. I hope the Secretary of State reconsiders the need for it; but these new free speech duties ought to rule it out in any case.
However this was unacceptable to the government. Mohamed may possess all the correct freedom of speech credentials when it comes to Muslims and trans-rights protesters but he clearly didn’t understand that when it comes to Zionism there is no such thing as ‘free speech’?
A campaign then got going from the usual sources to ‘change the mind’ of the good professor and sure enough after the Zionists and the government had exerted enough pressure, Arif reversed his previous commitment to free speech on Palestine.
On 1 June 2023 Jewish News reported that
After his appointment by Sunak was confirmed by The Times, Ahmed appeared to partially tone down his criticism of IHRA in an op-ed written for the newspaper. He said:
“The International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s working definition is an important tool for understanding how antisemitism manifests itself in the 21st century. Adopting it sends a strong signal to students and staff facing antisemitism. ”
The CAA, an Zionist propaganda organisation which masquerades as a charity, crowed about its success in pushing back against Arif’s naïve belief that free speech covered the Palestinians.
The Labour Files – The Spying Game I Al Jazeera Investigations
There has been a determined attempt by the Zionist Lobby, the BBC and the media to suppress any debate or discussion about the ‘anti-Semitism’ smears that led to the destabilisation of Corbyn. Al Jazeera’s four part investigation The Labour Files, which documented what had happened was almost completely ignored by the mass media. The Guardian has even deleted comments underneath articles which mention it. So much for Comment is Free!
The Labour Files – The Spying Game told the story of how the Labour Party used hacked data from a journalist to investigate members who were critical of the party. With the knowledge of the party’s leadership, hacked emails were used as evidence to expel Labour councillors and activists in Croydon.
The Big Lie is made by award-winning radical film-maker Platform Films. It is produced by Chris Reeves and Norman Thomas and it is narrated by Alexei Sayle. It explores the political deceit of those who undermined the Corbyn movement and uncovers the critical role played by Starmer and his cronies.
It is no surprise that Jeremy Corbyn – The Big Lie, has resulted in a concerted campaign by Starmer, the Zionist lobby and Intelligence assets like Paul Mason to prevent it being shown.
The protestations by Zionist organisations that the film peddles ‘conspiracy theories ‘ by blaming Jewish organisations (actually it never mentions the term ‘Jewish organisations’) is both laughable and hypocritical. The Board of Deputies, which sent the above letter to Glastonbury and Mike Eavis, led the smear campaigns against the Left and Corbyn. They call themselves a Jewish, rather than a Zionist, organisation even though their constitution commits them to support Israel, right or wrong. Marie van der Zyl, the author of the above letter, was particularly prominent in the campaign.
The BOD which denies involvement in a smear campaign against Corbyn confirms what the film says by smearing it as ‘antisemitic’
The campaign against The Big Lie included the Campaign Against Anti-Semitism writing to Vodafone, the corporate sponsors of Glastonbury, in order to get them to put pressure on the Eavises who organise the festival. That was then followed up by Paul Mason, who has previously devoted his time to ‘exposing’ and witchhunting ‘far left rogue academics.’
Mason wrote a witch-hunting article in Labour List, the housepaper of Starmer’s Labour Party, attacking the film as a series of ‘Corbyn conspiracy theories.’ Mason wrote that
‘the film presents a full-blown conspiracy theory about Corbyn’s opponents, conflating Zionists, Jews and Israel as part of a force that “orchestrated” his overthrow.
Mason hasn’t even seen the film. It isn’t those who produced this film who conflate Zionists, Jews and Israel but Mason’s Zionist friends. As if to prove the point Mason goes on to argue that the film
‘appears to match at least two examples of anti-Semitism in the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition, and should raise legal and ethical questions for any venue considering screening it.
The whole point of the IHRA ‘definition’ of anti-Semitism was to conflate criticism of Israel and Zionism with anti-Semitism whereas anti-Zionists are careful to make a clear separation between Jews and Zionism. That is why we are attacked as ‘self haters’. The implication being that being a supporter of Zionism and Israeli Apartheid is integral to being Jewish. But in the minds of spooks and MI5 assets like Mason, words mean what you want them to mean.
Paul Mason’s clinching argument is that
The film claims to tell the story of what caused the Corbyn project to fail, employing a familiar cast of characters: Chris Williamson, Jackie Walker, Tony Greenstein, Graham Bash and Ken Loach, all of whom have been expelled from or suspended by Labour, together with David Miller, the former Bristol University academic sacked after complaints from Jewish students.
Since when is expulsion from the Labour Party proof of anything other than McCarthyism? Three of the 5 people named above as being expelled are Jewish! Starmer’s conflation of Zionism with being Jewish is what genuine anti-Semites also believe. That has led to Jews being five times more likely to be expelled from the Labour Party today than non-Jews. This is Starmer’s ‘war against anti-Semitism’.
And if you are a member of the non-Zionist Jewish Voices for Labour then you are 35 times more likely to be expelled. So if anyone is anti-Semitic it is Paul Mason and his NATO/MI5 allies. As a result of Mason, the CAA and all the other forces exposed in Jeremy Corbyn – The Big Lie, Glastonbury cancelled the screening of the film.
If anyone is a conspiracy theorist it’s Paul Mason whose spider web above is 1 long conspiracy
Paul Mason was exposed by the Grayzone as having been
engaged in a malicious secret campaign that aims to enlist the British state and “friendly” intelligence cut-outs to undermine, censor and even criminalize antiwar dissenters.
In one leaked email, Mason thundered for the “relentless deplatforming” of The Grayzone and the creation of “a kind of permanent rebuttal operation” to discredit it.
In another, the celebrity journalist declared that “the far left rogue academics is who I’m after,” then rants that he is motivated by fear of an emergent “left anti imperialist identity” which “will be attractive because liberalism doesn’t know how to counter it.” See Paul Mason’s covert intelligence-linked plot to destroy The Grayzone exposed
The Editor of Labour List, Tom Belger, not content with Mason’s article, ran another asking Why did Glastonbury only pull controversial Corbyn film after backlash? A more appropriately title article might have been ‘Why did Glastonbury surrender to an Apartheid lobby and a disinformation article by a discredited spook like Paul Mason?
The Orwellian Statement from Glastonbury justifying their Capitulation to the Apartheid Lobby by Claiming It’s in the Name of Equality!
The real reasons why pressure was put on Glastonbury to cancel Oh Jeremy Corbyn – The Big Lie is simple. It is an attempt to hide the truth and prevent people learning about the forces which made false ‘anti-Semitism’ claims against Corbyn and his supporters. For all the froth from Tories about ‘free speech’ what they really mean is that they want free speech for Braverman, racists and homophobes. When it comes to anti-Zionism and support for the Palestinians they support any amount of cancel culture. Tom Tugendhat tweeted
It’s not often I find myself agreeing with Paul Mason.
@Glastonbury shouldn’t allow itself to be exploited by antisemitism-deniers seeking to peddle their vile conspiracy theories. I hope they change their mind and decide against screening this film.
Tugendhat has no problems being in the same government as Cruella Braverman who talked about an ‘invasion’ of asylum seekers. A government which has a history of racism including anti-Semitism, not least former Prime Minister Boris Johnson whose novel 72 Virgins was replete with genuine anti-Semitic tropes about Jews conspiring to fix elections through their control of the media.
The decision to try and prevent people seeing what happened during the Corbyn years has provoked a massive backlash. Norman Thomas stated that the cancellation was a product of “vicious outside pressure” and went on to explain that:
“An outside pressure group has declared war on our film. They wrote to the festival’s sponsors… and whipped up huge storm of complaints about the film claiming, without any foundation whatsoever, that the film is antisemitic.”
“The claim that the film is antisemitic is a total smear. The festival organisers even had a lawyer examine the film who pronounced it totally devoid of antisemitism.”
“Journalists, who know very well what’s going on, have to stand up and call this out for what it is: rank censorship.
“The problem is, if they do, they fear being accused of antisemitism.
“But if enough of us stand together the accusation won’t stick and this madness will end.”
In a statement on behalf of Platform Films, Norman Thomas wrote
“WE WILL SCREEN BANNED CORBYN FILM IN EVERY TOWN IN THE COUNTRY,” VOWS PRODUCER
GLASTONBURY AXING OF FILM IS CAUSING A BOOM IN SCREENINGS!
A controversial film about Jeremy Corbyn banned by Glastonbury is going to be screened in every town in the country, claims its producer.
“Glastonbury was forced to drop the film after pressure was put on its sponsors. But we have no sponsors. This banning is going to rebound in a big way!”
“We will make no charge for screening the film. People have to just tell us where and when they’re going to screen it.”
“It’s been claimed — undoubtedly by people who haven’t seen it — that the film is ‘antisemitic’ — but Glastonbury festival had a lawyer examine it who pronounced it totally free of antisemitism. On top of that, most of the principal commentators in the film are actually Jewish, so, by banning this film, the festival is actually banning Jews.”
“It’s been claimed the film is full of conspiracy theories. This is absolute nonsense. The film is a straightforward documentary which tells the story of how Jeremy Corbyn became leader of the Labour Labour Party and explores the forces that brought him down. It’s a piece of political history that powerful people want to bury — but we won’t let that happen.”
People are attempting to suppress it for one big reason — it tells the truth.”
Narrated by Alexei Sayle, the documentary explores claims Jeremy Corbyn was a victim of a concerted smear campaign, that Keir Starmer played a deceptive “spy cop” role in Corbyn’s shadow cabinet and that Starmer is waging a witch-hunt in the party.
The Glastonbury festival had been advertising the screening on their website for almost a month, but the pressure groups launched their attack on it with just a few days to go before the festival started, in order to do maximum damage.
“The people behind this attack are skilled in what they do. They don’t want people to know the truth and they don’t want films like this to be seen. And they know how to put the boot in.”
The screening of the film in the festival was due to be followed by a live discussion with film-maker Ken Loach, who also appears in the film.
“The same people who have got our film banned are also viciously attacking Ken. The next thing is, they’ll be trying to get his films banned, too. This is just mad McCarthyite stuff.”
In the meantime, though, according to Mr Thomas, the banning of the film seems to have backfired in a big way. He said: “Since news of the ban has got out, we have been inundated by people wanting to organise screenings of the film in towns across the country. And we will do all we can to help them. Between us we will get the truth out there.”
To see a trailer of the film, go to https://youtu.be/9TACIA7oSIk.
For details of other screenings of the film go to https://www.facebook.com/platformfilmsuk/ or email [email protected]
Sharon Graham and Unite Ban Corbyn: The Big Lie is Part of Her Bromance with Keir Starmer
On 8 June the Chair of Unite SE/6246 Branch Damian McCarthy wrote to Regional Secretary Sarah Carpenter asking why screenings of the film at Unite’s Portsmouth Office had been cancelled “on the orders of Regional Secretary Sarah Carpenter.”.
Carpenter emailed back the same day to say that:
I have asked for the screenings to be cancelled whilst I seek further guidance. I have not had any instructions to cancel.
At this point I wrote, as Secretary of the Branch to Carpenter to ask:
You say that you have not had any instructions to cancel. Yet you also say that you need to seek ‘further guidance’. That suggests that you were advised to cancel the booking. Perhaps you would enlighten us as to who gave you this advice? Otherwise your need to seek guidance makes no sense.
On 13th June Carpenter wrote back:
The issues covered in the film are pertinent to internal Labour Party matters and that is not the focus of our union. Unite’s members are working on issues linked to our local communities and to industrial issues, and union resources are prioritised in these areas. Resources include use, maintenance and security of Unite buildings.
There are a number of screenings in local independent venues, which are open to interested members.
This means that we will not be showing the film in the Portsmouth office, and I will alert the relevant branch of this.
This was nonsense. What are these ‘internal Labour Party matters’? The resolution that was passed unanimously by our branch last night rejected the idea that:
‘the issues in the film are internal to the Labour Party and not relevant to Unite members. The film is about the orchestrated attack on Jeremy Corbyn and the socialist leadership of the Labour Party from 2015-19.
We do not believe that the following issues are irrelevant to Unite members:
* increased privatisation of the NHS, which Keir Starmer supports
* public ownership of water, rail and the utilities which Starmer opposes
* Zionism and Apartheid Israel which Starmer supports
* the racist treatment of refugees which Starmer supports
* worker’s struggles which Keir Starmer opposes
* Tory legislation restricting the right of protest and our civil liberties which Starmer supports
Carpenter would not reveal who had given her the ‘advice’ but as Skwawkbox revealed it was Sharon Graham, the General Secretary of Unite who is increasingly as running a despotic and nepotistic regime. There have been a series of revelations of what has been going on and the decision to openly join Starmer and the Labour and TUC Right in banning the film should cause the scales to fall from the eyes of those who had illusions in Graham.
Although Graham has talked of supporting strikes at the same time she has done nothing to campaign against the new anti-trade union laws. Nor has she at any stage called for general f strike action against this government. Sharon Graham’s support for strike action has to be seen in the context of her lack of socialist politics.
What is the point of claiming you support workers’ struggles if you fail to challenge the legal framework which is making successful strikes next to impossible? Why has Graham refused to join other unions in opposing the anti-trade union laws?
I know some people have said that Skwawkbox has been running a vendetta against Graham but by her actions over the Big Lie film it is clear that they are not without foundation. To ban a film aimed at educating members as to the vicious ‘anti-Semitism’ campaign by Labour’s neo-liberal wing suggests that Graham is part of them. As Skawkbox says of the banning of the film:
The move, which comes hot on the heels of the Glastonbury festival’s cowardly decision to cave in to pro-Israel groups that do not want the smears of the pro-Israel right inside and outside the Labour party exposed, appears to be a further confirmation of longstanding reports from insiders that Unite general secretary, for all her protestations about Starmer’s behaviour, has made an accommodation with his regime.
Another senior figure in the movement told Skwawkbox that:
‘Starmer’s thought police are now running my union. It’s a disgrace.’
Sharon Graham’s tenure as general secretary has been marred by allegations… that she attempted to have evidence destroyed in bullying and misogyny complaints about her husband, whom she now employs in her office despite a final warning from the union for his behaviour and by the union’s appalling treatment of Irish union legend Brendan Ogle, who is now taking legal action over Unite’s ‘disgusting’ abuse and bullying following his return from cancer treatment…. the union’s conduct toward him led to protests during Graham’s recent Dublin visit, outrage among Irish politicians and threats from a whole sector to disaffiliate entirely.
In addition, after her supporters failed in their bid to take control of the Unite executive despite ‘dark money’ spending on advertising, ineglible and racist members being allowed to stand and the alleged use of paid organisers in and following the exec election campaign, her faction has resorted to Starmerite tactics to try to discredit the executive members’ election of a new left-wing union chair and both vice-chairs, as well as the vital Finance and General Purpose Committee.
The Labour Right and the British State are by their very nature secretive, dishonest and manipulative. They engage in conspiracies all the time. It is not anti-Semitic to tell the truth. Conspiracy theories are about the ‘hidden hand’ of a few individuals who manipulate events. The film makes no such argument.
However to deny that there are conspiracies and that Corbyn was the victim of a large number of them is to deny facts that Al Jazeera and others have uncovered. That is the real reason why Paul Mason is jumping up and down together with his neo-liberal friends.
It is interesting to read the review of Diane Datson in North East Bylines. Unlike its detractors, Diane actually watched the film.
I was interested to see how the film would tell the tale of the shocking behaviour within the right wing sector of the Labour Party machine so I went along to see Oh Jeremy Corbyn – the biggest lie on Thursday 9 February at Conway Hall, London. It was difficult to get a seat, the hall was jam-packed.
In short, the film tells of the alleged corruption within Labour Party backed up by written evidence and by ex-members who have suffered at the hands of Keir Starmer and his purges. It makes clear that the establishment was petrified of Jeremy Corbyn, of his popularity amongst the people, of his stance on Palestine and his promotion of peace and negotiation instead of considering war as a first option.
It tells how the establishment relied upon right-wing Labour staffers and MPs to do the dirty work and bring Corbyn down and ensure a Conservative victory in 2017. We learn how, when Corbyn secured the biggest vote share ever for Labour in 2017, they upped the ante and weaponised antisemitism and the remain campaign against him. It also reveals that there were those who worked hard with Labour MPs and paid money to bring Corbyn down.
Starmer is portrayed as corrupt, craven and “leading a lawless party” who will stop at nothing to purge the left – accusing and suspending many left-wing members as antisemites. The film suggests that anti-Semitism was the smear that stuck and so therefore was utilised to bring about the downfall of the Corbyn project.
A shocking film
The film is sinister and, for those that don’t know anything about the events, very shocking. It will make many very angry as we were robbed, in the most undemocratic way, of a prime minister who would listen to the people and work on the side of humanity. It will infuriate the public, as it is clear that no one likes duplicity. It will also make many people very sad.
The real message conveyed in this film is that the Labour Party is no alternative to the Conservatives – it serves the ruling class and is led by someone every bit as devious as Boris Johnson, if not more so.
However, I for one felt uplifted, as the film ended optimistically. Many of the interviewees think that all is not lost – those millions of people who were inspired and given hope by the Corbyn project haven’t gone away – they are to be found supporting the picket lines, protesting and fighting for many causes such as public ownership of the NHS and the right to strike and the establishment is STILL petrified.
This film should be shown far and wide. It is well evidenced and the interviews with ex members, and in some cases their despair, adds a very human element. Many people are working hard to get it shown – it will be seen time and time again in the future as it depicts such a scandalous almost unbelievable era in the story of the Labour Party. The good people of this nation deserve to know the truth.
