Head of Calderdale Council being urged to take action against a cabinet member who helped organise the event, which also featured a placard bearing swastikas
September 3, 2021 11:57
A Labour council leader has come under fire after refusing to take action against a cabinet member who helped organise a pro-Palestine rally featuring a placard bearing swastikas and demonstrators chanting a Hamas rallying cry.
Head of Calderdale Council Tim Swift is being urged by both Liberal Democrats and Conservatives to act after Cllr Jenny Lynn, who is chairwoman of the Halifax Friends of Palestine, helped organise the controversial rally last month.
The rally came just one day before Calderdale Council won praise for joining 500 other organisations in a new Yorkshire campaign called Root out Racism.
At the event, she was filmed raising her fist as protesters chanted: “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free.” The chant is a Hamas rallying cry and is widely seen as calling for the dismantling of the state of Israel.
The event, which was also attended by other Labour councillors, featured a placard depicting former Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu on a ‘wanted’ poster that included swastikas.
Among those invited to speak at the rally was controversial vicar Dr Rev Stephen Sizer, who promoted a Holocaust denial website and shared conspiracy theories about Israel online.
Another speaker was Adie Nistelrooy who organised pro-Palestine rallies in May and June at which demonstrators were encouraged to give “a big enormous round of applause for the Palestinian resistance”.
Halifax Labour MP Holly Lynch was listed as a speaker but pulled out of the event after she came under fire over her planned attendance.
Liberal Democrat leader Cllr Baker and Conservative group leader Steven Leigh have both written to Calderdale’s Labour leader Tim Swift urging him to take action against Cllr Lynn.
In his letter, Cllr Baker said: “Last year the whole council agreed to adopt the IHRA definition of antisemitism. Some of the views expressed by speakers at this event would clearly be seen as antisemitism under this definition.
“We are pleased to see Holly did not share a platform with them but it’s not acceptable that a Labour councillor and Cabinet member was involved in organising this.”
However Cllr Swift resisted calls to act and defended Cllr Lynn’s record.
He said: “Councillor Lynn has a long track record of working for equality and cohesion in Calderdale, both as a community activist and a councillor, and has a proven record of working in harmony with people of all faiths and none.”
Cllr Lynn said: “There is nothing incompatible about my role as chair of a community based organisation – Halifax Friends of Palestine – and my role in supporting all our communities and I will stand on my record on that. There is nothing antisemitic about standing up for the rights of Palestinian people.”
Ian Austin, chairman of the campaign group against extremism Mainstream UK, said: “Of course Cllr Lynn cannot be the Cabinet member for Communities and take part in events like this. The council leader needs to act.”