Two Counterfire members at a stall in Ipswich / Photo: Richard Allday
Comrades in Ipswich show what Counterfire members can do everywhere to build the movement and our organisation, in a report from Amy Langley
On Saturday 28 June, the Essex and Suffolk Counterfire branch held its first stall in Ipswich town square. Comrades Amy, Ben, and Richard came equipped with Counterfires free newspapers, leaflets for the Ipswich event on Wednesday 23 July and various books and educational material for purchase. Also present was the local branch’s new mascot, Slothy (centre of below photo).
The stall began at 10:30 am for ninety minutes and garnered approximately fifteen people who were interested to know more, and wanted to show support and solidarity with the cause. The free paper was popular for handouts, with many people expressing surprise that it did not cost money. The positive response to the paper shows how important it is that Counterfire offers the only free paper on the left, and how important it is that this continues.
The stall was done alongside a protest organised by the Ipswich and South Suffolk Palestine Solidarity Campaign (PCS). This showed unity for the cause, and also solidarity between organisations. They originally wanted to protest inside the town hall. The PSC came to protest silently outside where members of the public were remembering the Srebrenica genocide in Bosnia over thirty years ago. The aim was to remind the local government that whilst they remember other atrocities, there remains a deafening silence about Palestine.
Members of the South Suffolk Palestine Solidarity Campaign explained why they felt it was necessary to protest. Hannah said, ‘The reason we are here is because we want to remind people that this is not just a thing of the past. It’s all well remembering the horrors if Srebrenica but they don’t want to acknowledge the horrors of what us going on in Gaza.’ Chrissy pointed out, ‘The time to protest genocide is when it’s happening, not thirty years past the event. The UK government is complicit in what is happening in Gaza’.
The stall shows what only a small number of comrades can do to build the movement and our organisation.
Before you go
The ongoing genocide in Gaza, Starmer’s austerity and the danger of a resurgent far right demonstrate the urgent need for socialist organisation and ideas. Counterfire has been central to the Palestine revolt and we are committed to building mass, united movements of resistance. Become a member today and join the fightback.
