Cambs4Corbyn and anti-Semitism

I am proposing the following motion to Huntingdon CLP regarding the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page. The reasons for it are obvious if you read the motion’s text and particularly if you follow the links at the end.

Update 24th May – The anti-Semitic meme regarding the Rothschilds has been removed from Cambs4Corbyn. There is a link to an archive.org snapshot below; there are also screenshots of the post on social media.

Update 30th May – Cambs4Corbyn appears to be rebranding itself as New Front Page. I have included updated links below.

Update 4th June – the motion was passed by around thirty three votes to one against, with four abstentions. I am delighted to be able to report that the posts linked below have been removed from Cambs4Corbyn.

Cambs4Corbyn

This CLP notes

1. That on 13th May 2019, the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page posted a false and anti-Semitic meme regarding the Rothschild family;
2. That on 10th May 2019, the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page posted a meme containing the anti-Semitic mural by Mear One, which Jeremy Corbyn has described as ‘deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic’;
3. That on 15th April 2019, the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page posted a comment drawing on the racist conspiracy theory about an ‘international Zionist criminal organisation’;
4. That on 20th February 2019, the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page posted a comment drawing on a racist physical trope about Jews;
5. That there are other offensive posts on the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page;
6. That commenters on the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page have called out the anti-Semitic nature of the posts;
7. That the St Ives & District Branch Labour Party website links to the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page, describing it as a ‘very good left-leaning page’;
8. That the description for the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page refers to St Ives Branch Labour Party;
9. That the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page has been noted by critics on social media as being associated with Huntingdon Constituency Labour Party.

This CLP believes

1. That this material shared on the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page is wholly at odds with the values of the Labour Party and of Jeremy Corbyn;
2. That we have a moral duty to call out racism;
3. That we have a particular moral duty to call out racism in this case precisely because Jeremy Corbyn is our leader and we are in Cambridgeshire.

This CLP resolves

1. To continue to condemn anti-Semitism;
2. To condemn, as members of a diverse party committed to opposing racism, the anti-Semitic material on the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page;
3. To dissociate itself from the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page and Twitter account;
4. To mandate the secretary to forward a copy of this motion to the General Secretary of the Labour Party within twenty-four hours of the passing of this motion.

Links

Notes 1

The image was originally at https://www.facebook.com/Cambs4Corbyn/photos/a.184480352207999/350319195624113. It was removed shortly after this motion became public, but was picked up on social media, for instance at https://twitter.com/nicolelampert/status/1128597042513817600. (archive.org version)

Notes 2

The image with the Mear One mural is at https://www.facebook.com/newfrontpage/photos/a.184480352207999/349026149086751 (archive.org version)
Jeremy Corbyn called the mural ‘deeply disturbing and anti-Semitic’, as reported at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-43523445

Notes 3

The post referring to the ‘international Zionist criminal organisation’ is at https://www.facebook.com/newfrontpage/posts/338183610171005 (archive.org version)

Notes 4

The post referring to Israel’s ‘big fucking nose’ is at https://www.facebook.com/newfrontpage/posts/316619772327389 (archive.org version)

Notes 5

For instance, https://www.facebook.com/newfrontpage/posts/299316154057751 (archive.org version)

Notes 7

See http://www.stiveslabourparty.org.uk/page21.html (archive.org version)

Notes 8

The description for Cambs4Corbyn has been updated and no longer refers to St Ives branch. However, the Cambs4Corbyn Facebook page still connects itself to St Ives branch, for instance at https://www.facebook.com/newfrontpage/posts/184136652242369?__tn__=-R.

The Cambs4Corbyn Twitter also identifies itself as being from St Ives Labour, for instance at https://twitter.com/Cambs4Corbyn/status/993067715106689024.

There is a snapshot on archive.org for 18th May of Cambs4Corbyn’s about page, where it connects itself to St Ives branch.