14.11.2002
European left gathers
Comrades from a wide variety of revolutionary, radical and leftwing traditions travelled from all across Europe and beyond to hear thousands of speakers address meeting which ranged from a couple of hundred to many thousands. Most railed against capitalism, some even talked a good revolution, but few offered anything much by way of practical organisational or political suggestions about the way forward. Nevertheless despite the conventional platitudes many useful contacts were made and the culture of dialogue deepened. The ESF was certainly the biggest gathering of the European left for many decades. Undoubtedly thousands will go away inspired by the whole thing. Yet so much more could have been achieved. Meetings were run more like rallies than genuine arenas for debate and the considered exchange of ideas. It was not unusual for 20 or more platform speakers to address meetings of thousands for up to three hours. Equally to the point, speakers from the floor were generally selected, or preselected, from amongst those with what passes for acceptable opinions. Trying to introduce minority politics in the 30 minutes 'free time' that followed the platform speeches - amongst all the others vying to speak - was, quite frankly, a joke. It was left to comrades on stalls and the team selling the Weekly Worker to get our politics heard and then on a one-to-one basis. Bob Paul * Socialist Alliance marginalised * Communist SWP * European SA needed
Worker