Oxford heckler ejected

[faceless]

Galloway heckler is ejected
By Tom Shepherd
www.oxfordmail.net


Security guards ejected a member of the audience during a speech by Respect MP George Galloway at Oxford Town Hall. The man, who refused to give his name, repeatedly demanded the MP clarify his stance on anti-Semitic remarks allegedly written in charters drawn up by the Palestinian party Hamas. Mr Galloway said it was "absurd and offensive" to suggest his party was racist and he admired the bravery of Jewish people who spoke out against Israel's actions in Gaza.

Other speakers at Wednesday's meeting, organised by the Respect MP to drum up support, were Stop the War activist Ed Griffiths, Oxford health campaigner John Lister and Caroline Raine, of the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign.

Mr Galloway began his speech by comparing Gordon Brown and David Cameron to "two cheeks" of the same backside. He said a move to increase the police's stop-and-search powers, discussed by the Conservative and Labour leaders at Prime Minister's Questions this week, would only breed contempt for the police and society.

The 53-year-old said: "There's no difference between Brown and Cameron as far as British politics is concerned." He also criticised the Government's decision to prop up Northern Rock, and warned an attack on Iran would be the "biggest mistake in history". "You think $100 a barrel is bad? You imagine $500 a barrel or even $5,000 a barrel," he said.

Mr Galloway, a contestant on Celebrity Big Brother in 2006, is known for his campaign to overturn economic sanctions against Iraq in the 1990s and early 2000s, and his attempts to avert the 2003 invasion. He visited in 1994 and 2002.

As part of a speech during his 1994 visit, in which Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was in attendance, he said: "Sir, I salute your courage, your strength, your indefatigability." However, Mr Galloway has always said he was addressing the Iraqi people not Saddam. During his 2002 visit to Iraq, as talk of war and claims of weapons of mass destruction were rife, he said: "We are determined we are going to do everything we can to stop this rush over the cliff."

His talk was the first of a nationwide speaking tour.

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Hopefully video of the whole event will turn up before long.