Young Labour members have laid a wreath and held a minute’s silence outside of a Labour Students disco in Brighton last night, “celebrating” the party's move to disband the group, despite a warning not to do so from the Jewish Labour Movement (JLM).
Tweets from Labour supporters describe members of the faction Labour Students Left – established to campaign against Labour Students’ alleged “years of disenfranchising and misrepresenting” – mimicked a memorial service for the student wing outside its disco.
Two hours before the disco, one activist Florence – who is also LGBT officer of Queen Mary Labour Society – tweeted: “Anyone at conference PLEASE come to the labour students disco RIP to a f**king real one funeral attire only please I'm getting a wreath”.
anyone at conference PLEASE come to the labour students disco RIP to a fucking real one funeral attire only please I'm getting a wreath
— florence!! (@ndthemachine) September 24, 2019
Later that evening, Rob Vernon – a member of Labour Students Left’s ‘Steering Committee’ and Labour councillor in Cheshire East Council – tweeted: “They stole our flowers and sign almost immediately. Such disrespect for our peaceful tribute”.
Oliver Robinson – also a member of Labour Students Left’s ‘Steering Committee’ and Labour councillor in Lancaster City Council – said a wreath was laid and posted an image of a note saying “R.I.P NOLS [National Organisation of Labour Students, its former acronym]” with the message: “An organisation taken from us only 40 years too late!
“Goodbye, you will not be missed!”
Honoured to pay respects to NOLS. An organisation taken from us only 40 years too late!
— Oliver Robinson (@cllr_oliver) September 24, 2019
Goodbye, you will not be missed! pic.twitter.com/c3ADIgWffQ
There were also claims that some of the protesters attempted to block the door to the disco and chanted "One NOLS, One Noose". Mr Robinson told another Twitter user he couldn't comment on the accusation, maintaining he chanted "Lansman's on Fire, Labour Students Terrified" instead.
Rania Ramli, National Chair of Labour Students, told the JC that the "intimidatory behaviour of the individuals was absolutely disgusting.
"Their chanting was sickening and very shocking [...] We are incredibly disappointed that this happened, it contradicts our most fundamental Labour values and any idea of a kinder, gentler politics.
Last week at a meeting of Labour's governing National Executive Committee, members voted to replace Labour Students, claiming that the group had not paid its annual affiliation fees.
JLM warned at the time that getting rid of Labour Students “will disband one of our most committed allies in the fight against anti-Jewish racism.”
Other Labour members who put their name to a Labour Students Left statement on the NEC ruling include Lara McNeill, who is a Youth Representative on the NEC, and Jawad Khan, a European Parliamentary candidate in this year’s European election who, as the JC previously reported, compared Israel to the Nazis.
