John McDonnell defends call for direct action, saying it was a democratic form of demanding change
Labour’s far-left veteran insists that he wanted a peaceful protest – saying violence achieves 'nothing'
MARXIST Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell yesterday roared on protesters marching on Parliament – insisting the Tories had no “legitimate right to govern”.
As hundreds prepared for a ‘Day of Rage’ in London, Labour’s far-left veteran insisted that he wanted a peaceful protest – saying violence achieved “nothing”.
But he defended his call from last week for a million people “to get out on the streets” to bring down the government.
He said “direct action” was a democratic form of voicing anger and demanding change. And he urged the Tories to stand down and let Labour run a minority government.
Mr McDonnell said: “Today, people may call it a Day of Rage or whatever, they have got the right, if they want to be angry.”
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He added: “I don’t believe the government are legitimate in the sense they haven’t got a mandate that they asked for.
“I don’t think they have got the right to govern. They are in such disarray in the interests of the country they should stand down – and give Labour the opportunity to run a minority government.”
The comments came as it emerged the Shadow Chancellor spoke at a rally organised by the group behind the Day of Rage in 2014.
Yesterday’s protest was organised by the Movement for Justice by Any Means Necessary – who have vowed to “bring down the government”.
The organisers have been accused of hijacking the Grenfell Tower disaster for political purposes. Yesterday, MfJ’s Karen Doyle, refused three times to condemn the prospect of violence at the demonstration.
In an interview with Talk Radio, she said “hundreds of people” had been “murdered” in the tower blaze.
And she stormed: “If we’re not raging what we are? We are expressing the truth of people’s feelings, we won’t back down on that. We’ll continue beyond today, until this Government is brought down.”
