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| Tom Watson is trying to intimidate us, say anti-war protesters | Tom Watson is trying to intimidate us, say anti-war protesters |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Demonstrators who joined an anti-war protest in Walthamstow have expressed anger at Tom Watson’s comments that any Labour members who were present should be removed from the party. | Demonstrators who joined an anti-war protest in Walthamstow have expressed anger at Tom Watson’s comments that any Labour members who were present should be removed from the party. |
| Labour MPs including Stella Creasy, whose office was targeted in Tuesday’s demonstration, as well as Diana Johnson and Liz Kendall, hit out this week at abuse and threats of deselection over the vote on airstrikes in Syria. | |
| Watson told the Today programme: “To use an issue of such importance to try to divide the Labour party is reprehensible. I have seen those TV images of what went on in Stella Creasy’s constituency and I can only say if there were Labour party members on that demonstration, intimidating staff members of an MP like that, then I think they should be removed from the party. It’s simply unacceptable that people conduct themselves in that way.” | Watson told the Today programme: “To use an issue of such importance to try to divide the Labour party is reprehensible. I have seen those TV images of what went on in Stella Creasy’s constituency and I can only say if there were Labour party members on that demonstration, intimidating staff members of an MP like that, then I think they should be removed from the party. It’s simply unacceptable that people conduct themselves in that way.” |
| Related: Labour split exposed as Tom Watson describes Momentum as a 'rabble' | Related: Labour split exposed as Tom Watson describes Momentum as a 'rabble' |
| But Steven Saxby, a local vicar and member of the Labour party who took part in the Walthamstow demonstration, accused Watson of his own form of intimidation. In a statement on Facebook, Saxby said: “I am shocked by Tom Watson’s statement. At the same time as I condemn intimidation of MPs, I reiterate that the vigil was not intimidation, and condemn those who seek to portray democratic, peaceful actions as such. This is also a form of intimidation. | |
| “For my part, I shall not be intimidated into not speaking on issues about which I am passionate and alongside others within and beyond the Labour party.” | “For my part, I shall not be intimidated into not speaking on issues about which I am passionate and alongside others within and beyond the Labour party.” |
| Saxby denied that the vigil outside Creasy’s office was part of a wider campaign to deselect the MP, adding: “Stella has been an excellent MP, works hard for her constituents and has led some brilliant campaigns. | Saxby denied that the vigil outside Creasy’s office was part of a wider campaign to deselect the MP, adding: “Stella has been an excellent MP, works hard for her constituents and has led some brilliant campaigns. |
| “I disagree with her decision to support the bombing of Syria, but defend her freedom to have come to that decision and admire her courage in making it even in the face of opposition from many in her constituency. I totally condemn any abuse that she and her staff received.” | “I disagree with her decision to support the bombing of Syria, but defend her freedom to have come to that decision and admire her courage in making it even in the face of opposition from many in her constituency. I totally condemn any abuse that she and her staff received.” |
| Christopher Ford, a Labour member and trade union liaison officer who was also at the protest, said: “The protest was entirely dignified and respectful, there were many families there with candles. I don’t recognise the event from Tom’s statement. There is no connection between the vile abuse that Stella and her team have received and the peaceful protest we had. I spoke, we had town councillors who spoke, we had several priests and imams.” | Christopher Ford, a Labour member and trade union liaison officer who was also at the protest, said: “The protest was entirely dignified and respectful, there were many families there with candles. I don’t recognise the event from Tom’s statement. There is no connection between the vile abuse that Stella and her team have received and the peaceful protest we had. I spoke, we had town councillors who spoke, we had several priests and imams.” |
| Related: How your MP voted on airstrikes in Syria | |
| Ford said Watson’s comments were disappointing and that the deputy leader of the Labour party “should have checked his facts”. He added: “At the present time myself and a whole number of members feel bullied and scared to express our opinions. This hysteria should not be reflected inside the Labour party.” | Ford said Watson’s comments were disappointing and that the deputy leader of the Labour party “should have checked his facts”. He added: “At the present time myself and a whole number of members feel bullied and scared to express our opinions. This hysteria should not be reflected inside the Labour party.” |
| On Friday, it transpired that reports demonstrators had rallied outside Creasy’s house were untrue. The reports had followed a Facebook posting in which a man who identified himself as Paul S Jakubovic wrote “Outside Labour MP Stella Creasy’s house in Walthamstow tonight”. | |
| Creasy, who has published a blog detailing the motivations behind her vote for airstrikes, took to Facebook to dispute the reports. She wrote: “For avoidance of doubt I have no reason to believe Tuesday’s protest in Walthamstow went past my house, or that those involved also were the same people who rang my office to harass my staff or who have been the ones sending me threats of violence or abusive messages on here. | Creasy, who has published a blog detailing the motivations behind her vote for airstrikes, took to Facebook to dispute the reports. She wrote: “For avoidance of doubt I have no reason to believe Tuesday’s protest in Walthamstow went past my house, or that those involved also were the same people who rang my office to harass my staff or who have been the ones sending me threats of violence or abusive messages on here. |
| “The right to protest is an important and powerful political tool which I defend, and I have no reason to think those who took part on Tuesday were not peaceful in their conduct.” | “The right to protest is an important and powerful political tool which I defend, and I have no reason to think those who took part on Tuesday were not peaceful in their conduct.” |
| Related: Labour MPs criticise abuse and deselection threats over Syria vote | Related: Labour MPs criticise abuse and deselection threats over Syria vote |
| Sue Wheat, a Walthamstow resident who was at the demonstration, and who wrote a blog to “set the record straight” about the evening, told the Guardian: “The peace vigil was for everybody, it wasn’t organised by any political party. Our community is labelled as bullying and terrorist sympathisers. We are not. There are thousands of people in our community who believe in peace. | Sue Wheat, a Walthamstow resident who was at the demonstration, and who wrote a blog to “set the record straight” about the evening, told the Guardian: “The peace vigil was for everybody, it wasn’t organised by any political party. Our community is labelled as bullying and terrorist sympathisers. We are not. There are thousands of people in our community who believe in peace. |
| “I went to the vigil with my daughter. In fact I had the idea of writing messages of peace on Post-It notes and putting them on Creasy’s office window. News reports since have said Stella’s office was defaced, it wasn’t.” | “I went to the vigil with my daughter. In fact I had the idea of writing messages of peace on Post-It notes and putting them on Creasy’s office window. News reports since have said Stella’s office was defaced, it wasn’t.” |
| Rebecca Tully, a member of the Green party, said it was unfortunate that the story had become one of divisions in the Labour party. “If there were abusive phone calls and tweets made to Stella’s office, that’s a matter for the police,” she said. “Stella Creasy is my representative. A whole range of different people gathered peacefully, it was not a party political thing. The message is ‘don’t bomb Syria’. We wanted to make it as clear as we could, peacefully. It is a perfectly legal, perfectly calm message that we used. | |
| “Our voting persuasions, or our positions within the Labour party, are nothing to do with what happened that night and the next day when what we asked for didn’t happen. I understand democracy. Our demonstration has been used as a springboard to talk about other harassment. Our demonstration was not harassment.” | “Our voting persuasions, or our positions within the Labour party, are nothing to do with what happened that night and the next day when what we asked for didn’t happen. I understand democracy. Our demonstration has been used as a springboard to talk about other harassment. Our demonstration was not harassment.” |
| She said there was no reason for anyone to be removed from a political party. “We were 200 residents, imams, vicars, the elderly, children, a range of residents that took three hours out of our busy lives to go and stand and make our case as strongly and as peacefully as we could.” | She said there was no reason for anyone to be removed from a political party. “We were 200 residents, imams, vicars, the elderly, children, a range of residents that took three hours out of our busy lives to go and stand and make our case as strongly and as peacefully as we could.” |