Tariq Ali

In the context of the Gaza war, Ali advocated the view that states should 'de-recognise Israel' and supported a single democratic state with equal rights rather than the conventional diplomatic two-state solution. This placed him in direct opposition to Western governments and a substantial part of the Zionist movement.

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Ali co-signed a Guardian letter with several academics and intellectuals arguing that proscribing Palestine Action constituted an attack on fundamental freedoms of expression, association and protest.

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In 'Winston Churchill: His Times, His Crimes', Ali portrays Churchill as an imperialist, racist and figure responsible for numerous acts of colonial violence. The book prompted particularly fierce historical debate.

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At a pro-Palestinian demonstration in London, Ali stated that Israelis 'have learnt nothing from what happened to them in Europe' and that the bombing of Gaza and attacks on Jerusalem 'create' antisemitism. Jewish and anti-racist organisations condemned the remarks.

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The Undercover Policing Inquiry revealed that Ali had been monitored for decades by numerous undercover police officers because of his political activity. Hearings referred to at least fourteen officers who had spied on or reported on him and his organisations.

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In a conversation with Jeremy Corbyn, Ali linked George Floyd's death to training programmes for certain US police forces in Israel and accused Israeli embassies of supporting campaigns equating criticism of Israel with antisemitism, of which Jeremy Corbyn was allegedly a central target.

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In 'Pirates of the Caribbean' and numerous public statements, Ali presented Hugo Chávez, Evo Morales and other Latin American governments as a break with neoliberalism and US hegemony. His support for Chávez prompted criticism that his reading was too indulgent towards the authoritarian excesses of Chavismo.

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During mobilisation against the invasion of Iraq, Ali attacked Tony Blair and George W. Bush and turned the language of 'regime change' against the British government. He was an important figure in the Stop the War movement.

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Ali was a prominent figure of the British revolutionary left, worked around 'Black Dwarf' and later 'Red Mole', and belonged to the International Marxist Group. His Trotskyist and anti-capitalist commitment placed him at the centre of controversies concerning revolution, political violence, Vietnam and liberation movements.

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Political responsibility

Tariq Ali was one of the leading figures in British demonstrations against the Vietnam War in 1968. The March demonstration in Grosvenor Square ended in violent clashes with police, while Ali also helped organise another major march in October.

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Political responsibility

As a young activist in Pakistan, Tariq Ali organised a demonstration in Lahore following Patrice Lumumba's assassination, against a background of military rule and banned protests. The episode contributed to his reputation as a radical activist and pressures that led his family to send him to study in Britain.

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Political responsibility