Jess Phillips MP harassed and threatened by angry men

[eatfigs]

https://x.com/Channel4/status/1809092974438940817

The absolute state of this! Good on her and her colleagues for standing up to these horrible men and calling out their abusive behaviour.

Do you have a particular politician in mind?

I can't believe Corbyn was elected again.

I think expelling democratically elected MPs because some arbiter decides their views aren't acceptable has the potential to be extremely dangerous and used in the wrong way.

I would like to see better protections for people standing for election though. And better standards for electoral material. Lying on material and social media and smearing opponents inflames these debates.

I hope the police take strong action against the men involved.

I thought Hamas was a proscribed organisation?

Posters keep making comments like this and I dont know if it is because they have just absorbed this from an hysterical main stream media or what.

For instances there were and are many people who want a united Ireland, and may on occassion have shouted about this is a public place. But that doesn't mean they were members or supporters of the IRA.

Anymore than any number of people support the right of Palestinians to their own state and / or think the killing of civilians in Gaza should stop. This doesn't mean they are supporters of Hamas.

Just to be clear, I dont think harassing canvassers and threatening candidates in their home is ever acceptable.

But heckling at political events happen. Although am only too aware that when it is a group of men against a lone woman it is very frightening.

I saw heckling at other Declarations.

Starmer got heckled.

But the intimidation on the streets, and at people's homes is unacceptable. How is it that the police haven't followed this up?

I raised Muslim Vote (the organisation behind these independent candidates) as a problem before precisely because they wanted to repeal the spiritual influence legislation and because they wanted to in effect introduce a blasphemy law through Islamaphobia legislation. It was assumed I’m a dailymail reading racist.

If they were a Christian group I would feel exactly the same.

I would also not be surprised if the Muslim Brotherhood were involved somewhere. The Muslim Vote has been very careful not to name their supporters.

@IwantToRetire I have not absorbed this from "an hysterical mainstream media".
Please do not patronise me. I am capable of understanding the problem with Hamas and other fascist groups.
I also know that not every Palestinian supports Hamas.
Although maybe you will criticise me for getting such information from the BBC. It's mainstream media, isn't it?

My opinion is this issue has been caused by a combination of Internet driving tastes for conflict, and George Galloway stirring up trouble.

Well that's patronising - do you really think Islamic extremists need George Galloway and as for the Internet-they're exploiting it. They are part of a global political movement, that's why they focus on Gaza.
Many of these men are professionals, doctors, opticians, engineers.

Cassie, is your preference that we shouldn’t discuss what happened to Jess Phillips? Or perhaps that Jess Phillips is in the wrong here? Or is your view that what happened to her is fine? I am shocked that you seem incapable of calling out this Islamic extremism. Surely we should call it by its name and think about how to solve it?

The mainstream media has been under Government guidance since October 7th and that included the BBC and there has been a lot of criticism about it.

You were the one who mentioned Hamas, in relation to Jess Phillips being heckled.

Which is what I found confusing and why I responded.

This casual throw away comment seems to crop up any time there is any mention of what is a high level of disagreement within the Labour Party re Gaza, particularly since Starmer appeared to support using starvation as a legitimate measure of retaliation.

This has been increased tension within the Party as some have stood down because of it.

It is worth noting that as Jess Phillips only narrowly won her seat by 700 votes from the Worker's Party candidates, it isn't hard to imagine that a Party run by George Galloway, irrrespective of an issue, would result in highly charged over the top political posturing by its supporters.

Supporting the end of the conflict in Gaza has nothing to do with Islamic extremism.

Do you think South Africa taking Israel to the ICJ are because they are Islamic extremists?

Yes, I mentioned Hamas. I'm very concerned to see flags and placards and hear support for them in otherwise peaceful marches in London.
Yes, I fully understand how the media works. I lived in the Soviet Union, I can work it out without your help.
My opinion is that Jess and others have been targeted by intolerant men. These men have an agenda. They will possibly be peaced loving individuals also condemning Hamas, who knows.
However. Do not assume I am stupid because I form an opinion different to yours.
"Hysterical Mainstream Media" indeed.

This isn't just about the heckling, she and her team were harassed by gangs of men all throughout the campaign. Followed around, threatened, car tyres slashed. It's completely unacceptable.

Yes indeed. It's a level beyond "heckling".
Apparently it's just the lying media, though 🙄

I think there are plenty of people who have a genuine and heartfelt concern for Palestinians (as they should).

But there are also people who chant for the destruction of Israel, deny that rapes or torture took place or revel in the deaths of 7th October. There were celebrations in the street before Israel responded. Can you imagine if after 9/11 there were celebrations in the streets of London?

There will be people who support outfits like Hamas without considering what they do to Palestinians because they are extremists. Hamas are executing people who steal the aid that they themselves have already stolen and still there will be people in the west who support them or claim they are freedom fighters.

The new MP for Leicester South and possibly the MP for Islington North?

There is a difference between a Muslim and an Islamist. Just as there is a difference between a normal Christian minding their own and a rabid nutcase trying to ban abortion.

I don’t like it when people try to conflate the two. Hiding the problem won’t make it go away. It only benefits racists who want people to think every muslim is an islamist and islamists who can hide behind normal people and yell that any attack on them is an attack on all muslims.

I think that's why I have been using the term "Islamists" rather than Muslims, because the two are not the same.

Faith covenants" have been pushed by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on faith and society. The APPG's "faith covenant", which aims to be a "set of principles that guide engagement" when faith groups are contracted to provide public services, was previously supported by the NSS.However, the NSS withdrew its support after the covenant was modified in 2021 to remove a clause which prohibited faith groups from proselytising while providing public services.

I stated that difference in my post.

Exactly and the Labour Party is on track to accept the APPG definition of Islamaphobia instead of anti Muslim hatred.

Yes this concerns me, blasphemy laws through the backdoor. I’m worried that special interest groups have such a hold on Labour that they will let all sorts of shit slide to keep those groups happy.

The Workers Party of Britain is not "Islamic extremism".
And I think blaming this on Muslims is extremely reductive, over simplistic and unhelpful. In fact I think it makes the whole situation worse, by driving division and conflict.

I'd like to discuss what happened to JP without a load of islamophobic nonsense alongside it.

So you know the basis on which whoever they were hecled Jess Phillips?

You undermine the very real concerns about violence against women in UK politics, a long tradition of heckling in British politics, by dragging in the sort of rhetoric that made Suella Braverman a figure of fun.

If you remember prior to the Cenataph commemorations she made highly inflammatory speeches which bore no relation to the reality of what was going on (as confirmed by the police). It ended up in the farce of the far right turning up enbolded by a Tory minister to think they were going to - who knows what, defend British values? And in want of finding no real "enemy" to fight, fought amongst themsleves.

Well said. This is what worries me about the whole tone of the debate.
Women like JP end up on the receiving end because politicians have at best tolerated and at worst stirred up a load of tension. And absolute dicks like Galloway and Farage.

This was rude too. I've not said a single thing in this thread to encourage racism or Islamophobia, nor would I.