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Greens to protest at Labour conference |
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Written by Jelena
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Friday, 08 May 2009 14:31 |
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Green Party activists are planning a peaceful anti-globalisation demonstration at this year's Labour Party conference in Brighton. Party spokesman Spencer Fitz-Gibbon warned that trouble-making elements should stay away from the planned protest so that the Greens' message does not get diluted. "We are helping to plan a non-violent protest at the Labour Party conference in Brighton," Dr Fitz-Gibbon said. "We are resisting the right-wing argument that it is irresponsible to organise a protest like that because there may be a punch up. "You cannot be terrorised into not doing something legitimate by people who might take advantage of it." He said Green Party activists had been at Genoa, Prague and Seattle, where inter-governmental conferences were marred by clashes between police and some protesters, and were therefore speaking from experience of having their message drowned out. The protest will follow the England and Wales' Green Party's own conference which is due to be held in Salisbury on 13-16 September. Future protests High on the conference agenda will be the future of the anti-globalisation protests in the light of the experience of Genoa and other demonstrations. Leading environmentalist George Monbiot and the Green Party globalisation team will be among those debating the problem. London Mayor Ken Livingstone is also due to put in an appearance at the conference, where he is booked to make a keynote speech. The Greens remain ambitious about expanding their party membership, having set the goal of 5,000 members by the end of the year compared with the current figure of 4,500. Although the general election did not see them securing any seats, the party put up 141 candidates and they have had more success in Europe where they have two Green MEPs. In the House of Lords they are represented by Lord Beaumont of Whitley and the party also has 40 councillors in England and Wales.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/1525017.stm
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