Rally of support for Diane Abbot in Hackney called by Hackney Black Women

[IwantToRetire]

There was quite a good coverage of this by BBC London, but somehow they have decided the story isn't important enough for them to have made it available as a video clip.

So instead here is how C4 reported it https://www.channel4.com/news/hackney-residents-come-out-in-solidarity-with-diane-abbott-after-alleged-racist-remarks-by-tory-donor

But in the meantime the smears against Diane Abbott continue. Sometimes it just seems so overt that party politicos are only too happy to hijack the issue of racism to try and score points against rivals within their own party.

How strange (not) that this story have been leaked today

Diane Abbott denies refusing to do antisemitism training to rejoin Labour
https://inews.co.uk/uncategorized/diane-abbott-denies-refusing-to-do-antisemitism-training-to-rejoin-labour-2960293

She’s a bloody saint to put up with the abuse she’s faced over the years and to keep going in politics and to keep trying to do her best. I think she’s great.

Two things can be true. Diane Abbot can have some views that I reject, and have made dodgy comments about anti-Semitism. And she can be subject to constant racism and misogyny.

Look at the photos that the media use of her, even Left-leaning media. They are so racist. Always at weird angles, when her mouth happens to be open. Makes her look stupid, because everyone looks stupid when their mouth is wide open. Contrast with how, say, Jeremy Hunt is portrayed.

I completely agree they use unflattering pics of DA, she has some amazing photos as a younger woman and very beautiful ones ( yes I know woman aren’t all about beauty- just saying they could use those photos instead but don’t. Journalists have much younger pics of themselves on their articles)
however, Jeremy hunt is not a good contrast as there are loads of unflattering pics of him in left leaning newspapers.
Boris got awful pics too and rishi does so I think all media sources use unflattering pics of politicians

Independent's article is indeed shoddy journalism quoting unnamed Labour sources. Diane's response.

https://twitter.com/HackneyAbbott/status/1768711934080061741

Shoddy piece of journalism.

I think the difference with DA is that even the media supposedly on her side do it. The Telegraph does not generally portray Hunt looking like an idiot.

Boris, I give the media a pass on, as he can't even be arsed to brush his hair, so looks dishevelled of his own accord.

I have to confess I have no idea what this is all about? Are the right of the party smearing her? I wonder why? its not as if she is super left wing or anything? do they assume because she is black she is going to denounce the genocide in Palestine or something?
If Im totally honest I dont give a shit about what happens in Labour.
I have generally mixed feelings about DA.
Yes, she has been subject to horrendous abuse over the years from the press and the right of the party which is def out of order, no way would they do that to a black man or white woman, but also I think she is a bit of a dunce.

She read History at Cambridge. She is definitely not stupid. She does have some daft views (IMO), but many of her well-known gaffs are the sort of thing that will happen to anyone who appears on live TV a lot. The media chooses to amplifies hers, in a way it doesn't for most politicians.

I honestly don’t think that DA gets it worse than others do. Liz Truss has terrible pics, priti Patel was portrayed as a bull. Theresa may was depicted on a bed with Donald trump having anal sex with her ( these were cartoons admittedly) That was pretty disgusting too and by left wing media.
maybe it’s just unusual to see a left wing female politician portrayed badly by the left wing press and that does make you wonder why. But they portray Tory female politicians badly all the time and no one cares!

I'm glad to see Diane Abbott getting support where it really matters - in her own constituency and her own neighbourhood. She's the only politician coming out of this with any dignity.

https://www.amnesty.org.uk/online-violence-women-mps

Diane Abbott ..... receives an incredibly disproportionate amount of abuse and was the target of almost a third (31.61%) of all abusive tweets we analysed. She received even more abuse in the six weeks leading up to 2017’s snap general election, when 45.14% of abusive tweets were aimed at her.

https://www.itv.com/news/2020-09-09/diane-abbott-speaks-candidly-about-the-frightening-online-abuse-she-receives

There is no doubt she gets it worse.

There are also a lot of people scrutinising her for anti-semitic views and interpreting what she says in the worst possible way as a result. This is usually because they want to make political capital by claiming Corbyn's antisemitism problem still exists in Starmers Labour, rather than because they actually give a shit about antisemitism

There are also a lot of people scrutinising her for anti-semitic views and interpreting what she says in the worst possible way as a result. This is usually because they want to make political capital by claiming Corbyn's antisemitism problem still exists in Starmers Labour, rather than because they actually give a shit about antisemitism

It is far more likely that the leak of the supposed story about DA rejecting anti semitism training is far more likely to have come from Labour.

If accepted by the media as a whole it would mean Starmer and his henchmen would have a "valid" excuse for why after 11 months they haven't completed the investigation into DA (whilst a Labour Party male was cleared within a few weeks).

But suspect the real reason is, whether anyone likes it or not, it is quite clear that the Zionist wing within the Labour party have the ear of Starmer. So this (as a sort of parallel to how Labour treats gender critical women) means that Labour Party members who are critical of Israel and express this can end up being expelled. As in fact has happened to long standing Jewish Labour Party members. I thought everyone was aware of it. There have been court cases about it. (~)

This isn't to discount actual anti semitism within the Labour Party but its is clear that none of the parties tackle issues of racism, anti-semitism, Islamaphobia let alone sexism with out it being distorted by a party policy bias of those in charge of investigations.

(~) So posting these links not to hijack this thread about Diane Abbott and the ongiong relentless racism and sexism, but for those who aren't aware of long standing problems in the Labour Party.
https://www.jewishvoiceforlabour.org.uk/statement/diane-abbott-a-statement-from-jewish-voice-for-labour/
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-66753637
For another thread?

And not forgetting of course that to attack Diane Abbott is a way of attacking Corbyn https://twitter.com/HackneyAbbott/status/1768761677162377272

There is some nice footage on the London subreddit (and the top comment is very reasonable pointing out that the community was there to give support to a long standing local figure who has been subjected to unacceptable racism, and turning up today does not necessarily mean those present endorse DA as a politician nor that they agree with DA’s opinions on whether Jewish people experience racism).

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/london/s/ONIikQs9u3

(I thought this was rather lovely, made me a little teary!)

That's interesting.

And also worth pointing out that the rally was organised by Black Women in Hackney. It wasn't, as too often happens, the SWP hijacking an event so they can get their well worn placards out. And then their logo is in every news photo.

And I think some of the tv interviews showed how important that was for Black Women.

Also, I happened to hear the start of Any Answers having been listening to the news, and the first caller was a woman, and not saying she was totally right, but she plunged straight in on the fact of not just the overt racism and sexism, but the fact that Diane Abbott should be shot.

(Not so good as I later found out, was that the actual question asked in the pre programme was about reputational damage to the Tory party and what should they do about the money, ie not anything about a Black Woman who is a public figure having racist and sexist comments made about her.)

Rumour has it that the Labour Party have said DA can have the whip back if she agrees to stand down at the next election. The investigation into her alleged antisemitism has been going on for nearly a year. They want her gone because she's a Corbynite and Labour seem intent on reinventing themselves as Tory lite with added authoritarianism.

The Labour Party have sent letters to party members (some? all?) capitalising on the racist abuse against her and complaining they need the extra money to level the playing field wrt to election campaign funds, especially as the Tories aren't handing the 10 mil back to their racist donor. The letter manages to name the racist Tory donor but not Diane Abbot.

She stood 46 times to ask a question in this week's PMQ's, I believe it was related to the racist abuse from FH, and was ignored, whilst other MP's were invited to ask questions about the same subject. A long serving black female MP sat in the HoC whilst other MP's talked about her as if she wasn't there. Shameful.

I can't help but wonder what Starmer has on Lindsay Hoyle.

I may not always agree with DA but I do think she's one of the few remaining MP's who recognises she is a public servant and I'm glad her constituents are supporting her.

I hope she tells Labour to fuck off, stands as an independent and wins.

She's represented Hackney North and Stoke Newington since 1987 which, by my calculations, means her constituents must have voted for her 8 times. That's some achievement and I understand she still lives locally too.

I agree with previous poster that, if Labour really are dumb enough to force her to stand down then I hope she stands as an independent.

I agree with pp. I can disagree with DA on a lot, but she literally has to take more shit than any other MP, not least from her own party hierarchy.

Rumour has it that the Labour Party have said DA can have the whip back if she agrees to stand down at the next election.

I was going to say surely not - but then given past tactics by Labour i wouldn't be at all surprised.

What a shit show.

And the problem is now all this internal party politics is again distracting from the main issue.

The blatant racism and sexism against Diane Abbott made worse by saying she should be shot.

Couldn't Labour just for once do the right thing.

Complete their investigation into Diane Abbott and publish their decision.

agree - i have some issues around her politics and so on, but bloody hell what she gets in terms of attacks and abuse is far far beyond anything anyone should have to put up with.

My feminism supports women - it doesn't only support women i agree with.

Rumour has it that the Labour Party have said DA can have the whip back if she agrees to stand down at the next election.

I know I've already commented on this, but first thing that came into my head when I woke up this morning was this.

Along with their entrenched sexism and racism is Labour complete disregard for democracy.

All they seem to think about is some imaginary middle of the road voter who they think will want bland white man with non challenging policies and opinions.

Surely the whole point of having local candidates to stand as an MP is to hope, whichever party they are from, is that they are able to represent their constituency.

Why should voters in Hackney be told they cant have Diane Abbott who clearly has had their support.

And by being in some way representative of that area means that within Parliament there should be a broad range of MPs.

I hope DA does stand as an independent- as discussed on the previous Hackney thread East London quite likes an Independent candidate and DA has an undeniable relationship with the constituency and it’s community.

Let democracy decide who Hackney Central wants as MP, not Keir Starmer.