Lefty journo Owen Jones beaten in ‘blatant premeditated’ assault
Abuse: Here’s James Goddard doing his best to rile Owen Jones.
Left-wing journalist Owen Jones has suffered injuries to his head and back after a “blatant premeditated assault” as he was celebrating his birthday with friends.
Mr Jones, who has reported the incident to the police, tweeted that he was “in no doubt as to what this is”, pointing out that members of the political far right had tried to intimidate him in the past.
Here’s his account:
This is a bit dramatic, so firstly I’m fine, but last night – when I was celebrating my birthday – I was attacked, along with my friends, in a blatant premeditated assault.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) August 17, 2019
The group then scarpered: I don’t know if they said anything in the melee. I’m fine other than a big bump on my head and a cut back.
Given the far right attacks I’ve had in the streets, and generally escalating far right threats I’ve had, I’m in no doubt as to what this is.
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) August 17, 2019
How cowardly of the attackers – to approach from behind and hit their victim in the back.
He later added: “What happened – to be clear – is they spotted me in the pub, waited for us to leave, and then launched their attack when we were away from the pub – it was planned, not a random attack.”
Oh and thanks to my friends, who were assaulted defending me and who I love very much ❤️
— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) August 17, 2019
This attack is symptomatic of a terrifying trend in the UK – possibly provoked by successive Conservative governments that have weakened our police while stoking hatred with divisive rhetoric.
We’ve seen Mr Jones and Anna Soubry (and possibly others) threatened by right-wing demonstrators on College Green, outside Parliament.
We have also seen a rise in intimidating behaviour from groups claiming to represent British Jews; consider the treatment of venues in Brighton that considered hosting Chris Williamson’s recent speech there and remember that Mr Williamson has not been found to have committed any anti-Semitic acts.
Jewish Voice for Labour has called on the Board of Deputies of British Jews to condemn this behaviour but that organisation – which sent representatives to Brighton to protest while Mr Williamson was making his speech (were they responsible for the filming of attendees?) – had not responded at the time of writing.
Who else will be emboldened to threaten the rest of us?
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Very scary 😓, it could just as easily been a knife attack. Hope the Police get those responsible.
The brexsh*t effect…
Yeah, but the ‘Brexit effect’ is in turn the culmination of many Tory policies that have pandered to, and encouraged, the extreme right wing, the Reactionaries, the Neo-Nazis, the old BNP types/EDL/UKIP, blame the immigrants, kick out Johnny Foreigner, hate the Left. You see the same thing happening in America with Trump’s policies and statements. It’s the same thing that led to the murder of Jo Cox in this country and several other atrocities around the world. That’s what happens when you demonize certain groups of people – whether it’s Mexicans or Muslims or people who came from the Caribbean. Then demonize the Left and accuse them of being antisemitic! Reality has been turned on its head by right wing manipulators who seek to exploit peoples’ fears to their own advantage.
Instantly he says far right which in Owens mind is anything that doesn’t agree with his extreme left wing viewpoint, it is unlikely that anyone knew he was going to be celebrating in that pub till 3 in the morning other than his friends and the pub owner, so it is possible he annoyed someone during the night. The political stance he takes can annoy everyone, and there is no reason to think that was the reason for the attack at all.
What “extreme left-wing viewpoint” is that, then? Owen Jones is a lefty, but there’s nothing extreme about his views. See his own comments about the so-called Overton Window to find out why you’ve gone wrong on this.
Meryl, I can’t imagine how Owen Jones could be described as a Leftwing extremist! And if there had been any sort of disagreement in the pub he would have mentioned that.
It is true that it could have been anybody. He, of course, is speculating but what else can he do? He doesn’t know his assailants and I doubt that they know him however you are right in that he probably annoyed them, most likely with something that he has written, or broadcast. This is no justification for what they did but I have seen, increasingly, what one might call guerrilla politics, whereby, if somebody doesn’t agree with the prevailing opinion, they are labelled and demonised, there is no discussion, no agreement to disagree, no argument, merely an attack on the other person and this is a prevalent on the £eft as it is on the Right. Is it any wonder that this then finds its way into the street? Don’t be so quick to blame the Right; this is a societal problem, which, as far as I can tell, has many seeds online. Our discourse has been reduced, largely, to personal attacks. We don’t listen to each other any more. Unless you agree with me, you are wrong, bad, evil etc. You are no longer entitled to disagree. You are no longer entitled to an opinion. You have to be wrong.
Maybe its the “friends” he has?
https://twitter.com/JewishLabour/status/780535143400341504/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E780535143400341504&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Felectronicintifada.net%2Fblogs%2Fasa-winstanley%2Fhow-israel-lobby-using-owen-jones