Hundreds excluded from ‘antisocial’ forum

By Matthew Tempest, The Guardian, 15 October 2004

A near stampede marred the opening ceremony of the 2004 European Social Forum in London last night, as up to a thousand rain-soaked activists were barred entry to the Southwark Cathedral reception. Up to two thousand delegates queued in the London dusk and repeated cloudbursts for the event which was due to kick off the three-day conference of European global justice activists, only to find around half turned away. A potentially dangerous bottleneck was created as organisers only admitted one guest at a time, after a bag search, from a scrum of several hundred outside.

At first oblivious to the crushed crowd still waiting outside, the speakers, including Ken Livingstone, Gerry Adams and Che Guevara's daughter, Aleida, began half-an-hour late. Repeated attempts to ram the door, chants and slow handclaps echoing from the cathedral graveyard then reduced the opening ceremony to a state of semi-siege as wet and disgruntled delegates, numbering at least as many as were in the building, protested against the poor organisation of the ESF outside.

There was no apparent threat of the direct action tactics of the May Day protests, but a mood of dejection and chaos forced organisers inside to apologise that the cathedral was the largest venue we could book.

One usher confided that it was bigger than when Nelson Mandela came here.

On stage, Ken Livingstone welcomed guests from across Europe to what he called the largest conference in the history of Britain in over 2,000 years. The three-day gathering will see 500 events held in the capital.

He told the radical congregation of around 1,000 that there was still a queue thousands long in London yesterday evening to register for accreditation, and that today's attendance for the first full day of the conference of grassroots socialists, environmentalists and anti-globalisation campaigners would be 20,000 to 30,000.

To cheers, he joked that the last few days the media has woken up to the ESF—because my press officers have been rung incessantly to ask ‘how much is it costing’?

Let me tell you—it costs less than the G8 [which the UK will be hosting at Gleneagles next year] or the arms fair in London 18 months ago ... and if the media pay for entry, it will help defray the costs!

Reflecting his view from his exclusive Guardian Unlimited interview yesterday, that Europe's young were far from politically apathetic, Mr Livingstone boasted that the 5,000 delegates camping down in the Dome last night made it the biggest youth hostel in Europe,

With a panel of Frances O' Grady, the TUC deputy general secretary; Dr Aleida Guevara, the daughter of the late revolutionary Che; and globalisation academic Susan George; Mr Livingstone suggested that the war on Saddam Hussein was precipitated by the Iraqi dictator's decision to switch the sales of oil from dollars to euros.

Mr Livingstone said : Within my lifetime there will be a challenge against the dollar. China will emerge and say ‘why trade in dollars?’

Within a generation it will be the most dangerous time in world history,

Turning to the operation of world markets, he added: All the people in the world have an interest in overthrowing the existing financial regime of the IMF and the World Bank,

Before introducing Dr Guevara, the mayor revealed that in the last year of his current term, 2008, the Greater London authority would commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution.

Dr Guevara told the audience through a translator: Socialism is still a possibility. Solidary is of paramount importance,

She quoted Mother Teresa to an audience of peace activists hailing from Russia, Poland, France, the UK, Spain, Germany, Australia and the US.

Today's opening seminars, workshops, plenary sessions, concerts and films will test rumours that 36 hours of heavy downpours in the capital have left several of the venues and marquees at Alexandra Palace partially flooded.

Chaotic Olympiad of the Fringe and Commune begins European Social Forum

By John Vidal, The Guardian, 15 October 2004

Chaos reigned as an estimated 10,000 people converged in London for the third European social forum with delays, frustration and problems at three venues.

Despite a welcome from Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, who praised the forum's diversity, many visitors were bemused by a lack of organisation, which reflected badly on a capital bidding for the Olympic Games.

The chaos began early when 6,000 of the mainly young people attending the three-day forum (ESF) had to queue for many hours in the rain to register and collect passes at the Conway Hall in central London. Because only 900 are allowed in at a time, the police were called to clear the premises. Fights ensued, and a man was arrested.

Things got out of control. We were invaded by the Socialist Workers party, said Mary Fee, spokeswoman for the Solidarity village, an autonomous space at the hall hoping to set up an alternative currency for participants.

As organisers announced that the Israeli whistleblower Mordechai Vanunu would address a meeting tomorrow, Mr Livingstone denied that the forum was being taken over by British leftist groups.

The ESF is far too big and diverse to be swamped by any one viewpoint, he said. The global justice movement will be reflected in the different debates and speakers.

The gathering gets into gear today and is expected to attract 1,000 groups, 350 of them British. The first two forums, in Florence and Paris, each attracted 50,000 participants. The Guardian is the forum's media partner.

However, criticisms of logis-tics dominated the discussions which started last night at Southwark cathedral with the formal opening by Mr Livingstone, Che Guevara's daughter, Aleida, Gerry Adams, and others.

Frustrations seethed over as more than 1,500 people were kept waiting in the rain and then refused entry to hear the opening speeches.

And earlier hundreds who made their way to Alexandra Palace in north London, the venue for many of the 2,000 events, found only security guards and workmen.

There is not one sign anywhere. The shuttle buses are not working. It seems there is no organisation, said Juan Blanco, a Spanish doctor. No one knows what is going on. Compared to Paris this stinks.

But as some battled with transport, others were de-lighted by the vast choice. I have never seen such a programme, said Roberto, who arrived from Spain yesterday.

This is like the Olympics of politics and culture, a cross between the Edinburgh Festival and the Paris Commune. There is too much for three days, but this is a good sign for social justice in Europe. The movement is vibrant.

Back at Southwark, Mr Livingstone said: We expect 20–30,000 delegates. In the last few days the media has woken up to the ESF. I know that because my press officers have been inundated with calls asking ‘How much will it cost?’

I tell you this, it will cost less than the G8 or last year's arms fair in London, he said to loud cheers.

And he offered a warning, claiming that Saddam Hussein's decision to sell Iraqi oil in euros rather than dollars precipitated the US decision to topple him.

Within my life time there will be a challenge against the dollar. China will emerge and say ‘Why should we trade in dollars?’ It will be the most dangerous time in world history.

He told the crowds—as he introduced Ms Guevera—that in 2008 London would celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Cuban revolution.

Ms Guevera received a standing ovation and said: Socialism is still a possibility and solidarity is of paramount importance. The road is long but as Mother Teresa said: ‘Life is life—defend it’!

Earlier Mr Adams said: We must have fair trade over free trade and we must have a UN that is reformed, modernised, and strengthened.