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Abuse and Apologism in the RCG

CN: Abuse, Apologism, Victim Blaming

This post will offer a short summary of some of the harm caused by the Revolutionary Communist Group (RCG) to numerous people - both in and outside the organisation. In these cases it is often difficult for people who have just heard about the situation to find out exactly what has happened - this tends to favour abusers and abusive dynamics, which can continue to deny and obfuscate what has happened. There have been numerous testimonies from previous members of the RCG regarding their harmful behaviour and their bullying of members. This post acknowledges these stories, whilst focussing on a specific case of abuse within the group.

In late 2017, a number of people came forward with complaints regarding the predatory, abusive behaviour of Andrew Fairbairn - a member of the Revolutionary Communist Group’s (RCG) Manchester branch. A number of people spoke out with specific allegations of sexual harassment and in one case, a complaint of abuse within a relationship with Andrew too. The survivors of this abuse demanded that the RCG be made accountable for the harm their member had caused them.  

Eventually, In October 2017 the RCG posted the following blog in response to these demands:

 "The Revolutionary Communist Group is aware of a historic allegation of sexual harassment by a member of the organisation. The RCG views such allegations with utmost seriousness. The comrade involved has been suspended from membership and will remain suspended until an internal enquiry completes an investigation into the matter and reports with recommendations on further action"

A couple of months passed during which survivors of the abuse continued to attempt to work with the RCG in good faith to address the harmful behaviour caused by its member. Survivors gave information to the RCG through email/private message - these communications and the labour undertaken by the survivors of this abuse caused additional stress and harm to people already affected. Unfortunately, during this period Andrew continued a campaign against those demanding accountability for his actions - including sending threatening and malicious communications to concerned individuals. To date, his only public admission of the harm caused has been a coy tweet on his timeline, before locking his Twitter account permanently. When someone close to the situation contacted his new girlfriend to tell her of the historical harm caused by her new partner, Andrew responded really aggressively, demonstrating a further lack of acknowledgement to himself of the harm he'd caused.

In late December (days before it was due to come into effect) the RCG issued the following update on their website: 

"Following an investigation and a period of suspension, the comrade has been reinstated as of 1 January 2018. The comrade understands that his actions were unacceptable for a communist and a member of the RCG. Through the process we have undertaken, his consciousness and behaviour has changed, and continues to change to the extent that we have decided he can now be readmitted as a full member. The RCG takes seriously the sexism, discrimination and exploitation women face and is committed to building an organisation that opposes all such oppression.” 

It also transpired that the people responsible for the internal investigation into the claims against Andrew were people he had existing friendships with.

The survivors affected, and those supporting them, were rightly angry - their demands for accountability and positive steps for addressing the harm apparently abandoned, the RCG instead chose to readmit a sexual predator who had shown no admission of the harm caused to those affected, let alone any genuine signs of addressing or changing his own behaviour. In effect, the RCG is now harbouring a serial sexual predator, and as such is not a safe place to organise.

There were numerous attempts to address this - some members of the RCG even attempted to force the leadership of their organisation to take the allegations seriously, and address the needs of those affected. Those speaking up from within the group were also disciplined - many left the group in response. It has also become clear, from London RCG branch meetings, that the RCG leadership has chosen to describe these calls for accountability as a smear on their organisation - repeatedly accusing those who’ve demanded they not provide cover for a repeat abuser as being agents of the state, or the tedious trope many are familiar with: “sectarians”. The only support the RCG will now offer the survivors of this abuse is to pursue their complaint against Andrew Fairbairn with the police.

Those affected directly by the harmful behaviour of Andrew Fairbairn continue to demand these basic steps of solidarity:

That Andrew Fairbairn admit to and apologise for the harm he caused

That the RCG not be allowed to continue to organise in ways which offer cover to and protection for known abusers