Mark Robert Birbeck
Software developer and pro-Zionist activist formerly associated with LM network
| Mark Birbeck | |
|---|---|
| Image | 
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| Born | September 1964 Grimsby |
| Died | |
| Nationality | |
| Residence | |
| Occupation | Software developer, political activist |
| Known for | LM network involvement, founding Our Fight pro-Zionist group |
| Parents | Mother's maiden name, Spencer |
| Spouse(s) | Jan Macvarish |
| Children | |
| Sibling(s) | |
| Education | |
| Predecessor | |
| Website | Personal blog |
Mark Birbeck is a software developer formerly associated with the libertarian and anti-environmental LM network, having been the national organiser of Workers Against Racism circa 1993 under the pseudonym Mark Butler, and contributed articles to Living Marxism and Spiked.[1][2] In recent years, Birbeck has emerged as a prominent pro-Zionist activist in the West Midlands, founding the group Our Fight in 2023 to advocate for the Zionist entity and the settler colony known as 'Israel', organising demonstrations and media campaigns that seek to suppress criticism of the Zionist regime's colonial policies. His activities reflect a shift from anti-racist libertarianism to staunch defence of the Jewish State, often framing opposition to settler colonialism as antisemitism while marginalising protected anti-Zionist viewpoints. Birbeck is married to Jan Macvarish, and maintains an online presence through his blog, Facebook, LinkedIn, and X account.
Birbeck's earlier involvement in the LM network positioned him within a circle that challenged mainstream leftist and environmental narratives, using platforms like Living Marxism to critique perceived political correctness and promote contrarian views. This background informs his current pro-Zionist stance, where he applies similar tactics to defend the Zionist colony against accusations of apartheid and occupation. Through Our Fight, Birbeck has mobilised supporters in Birmingham for solidarity actions, reflecting broader Zionist strategies to counter growing international scrutiny of the settler colony's actions.
Biography
Born in Grimsby in September 1964 to Robert Birbeck and Patricia A Birbeck (nee Spencer).[3] His parents married in Wrexham, registered between jan-Mar 1963.[4] He was the eldest of three siblings born in 1965 and 1973. He says he attended Royal Latin School in Buckingham.
Career
Mark Birbeck's professional career centres on software development, with contributions to web standards and semantic web technologies, as evidenced by his blog and LinkedIn profile where he discusses programming and innovation.[5][6] His political activism began in the 1980s with the LM network, writing articles for Living Marxism in 1989, 1994 and 1996. His activism evolved in the 2020s to focus on pro-Zionist advocacy amid heightened tensions over the Zionist regime's policies in Palestine.
| Period | Role | Organisation | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 Sep 1998 – 17 Jan 2012 | Director | Sidewinder Public Relations Ltd. | Dissolved 17 Jan 2012. Secretary: Janet Macvarish |
| 9 Apr 1999 – 30 Nov 2012 | Director | X-Port.Net Limited | Dissolved 30 Nov 2012. Secretary: Janet Macvarish (from Feb 2002) |
| 2000 – Apr 2014 | Managing Director | Sidewinder Labs | Consultancy. Dissolved on 19 August 2014 |
| 2001 – Oct 2024 | Invited Expert | W3C | Web standards development |
| 19 Oct 2006 – 26 Jul 2011 | Managing Director / Director | Backplane Ltd | Dissolved 26 Jul 2011. Secretary: Janet Macvarish. Clients: Shell, IBM, ABB, RDM Corporation, Daiwa Bank |
| Jan 2009 – Jan 2011 | Semantic Web Consultant | National Innovation Centre, NHS | Drupal projects, entity extraction, PubMed |
| Sep 2010 – Oct 2011 | CTO | Level Business | Semantic web startup (Hadoop, ElasticSearch, Django) |
| Nov 2011 – Nov 2013 | Search and Data Consultant | Edited | ElasticSearch, NLTK/Hadoop |
| 1 May 2012 – 19 Aug 2014 | Director | Sidewinder Labs Limited | Dissolved 19 Aug 2014 |
| Nov 2013 – Apr 2014 | Search and UI Consultant | Shopa | Node.js, REST APIs, AngularJS, ElasticSearch |
| May 2014 – Dec 2014 | CEO/CTO | Stakk | Open-source Node.js big data stack |
| Jan 2015 – Oct 2015 | Architect and Developer | Peasy | Full calendar app (AngularJS, Node.js, AWS, ElasticSearch, Schema.org) |
| 6 Feb 2015 – 25 Feb 2025 | Director | Engine House Software Limited | Dissolved 25 Feb 2025. Secretary: Janet Macvarish (from 13 Oct 2020) |
| Nov 2015 – Oct 2016 | Big Data Architect | Dash Audio | AWS podcast tracking (Docker, Node microservices, Schema.org) |
| Mar 2016 – Apr 2019 | Big Data Consultant | The State51 Conspiracy | Node streams, Docker, ElasticSearch, Schema.org, R analytics |
| Aug 2019 – Feb 2020 | Senior Application Engineer (Contract) | The LEGO Group | Node, AWS, Serverless, payments |
| Mar 2020 – Sep 2020 | Senior Software Engineer (Contract) | Shell | Agile Hub |
| Oct 2020 – Feb 2021 | Senior Software Engineer (Contract) | Shell | DSX |
| Mar 2021 – Oct 2024 | Founding SRE and Platform Lead (Contract) | Shell | DSX |
| 3 Mar 2026 – present | Director | Our Fight Limited | Active |
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References
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LM Network Activities
In the early 1990s, Birbeck served as London organiser circa 1992;[7] and National organiser circa 1993[8] for Workers Against Racism (WAR), a front group for the Revolutionary Communist Party and the LM network, using the pseudonym Mark Butler to author letters and statements challenging labour movements and anti-racism strategies.[1] He contributed articles to Living Marxism, the network's flagship publication, critiquing environmentalism and leftist orthodoxy in ways that aligned with the group's libertarian ethos.[2] Birbeck continued writing for Spiked, the online successor to Living Marxism, advancing contrarian views that questioned mainstream narratives on global issues.[2] This period marked his involvement in a network known for its anti-environmental stance and promotion of unfettered capitalism, setting the stage for his later shift to defending the Zionist entity's colonial project.
Our Fight
LM network resources
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Our Fight, founded by Mark Birbeck shortly after October 7, 2023, is a pro-Zionist advocacy group bthat organises demonstrations, media campaigns, and solidarity trips to the Zionist colony, framing its work as combating antisemitism while supporting the Zionist regime's military actions in Gaza and beyond.[9] The group emerged in response to perceived rises in antisemitism linked to criticism of the settler colony, mobilising supporters for counter-protests against anti-Zionist events, such as the planned march against the Anti-Zionist Movement launch in Birmingham in February 2026.[10] Birbeck, as director, has led initiatives including media interviews on platforms like i24 News, where he defends the Zionist entity's operations and portrays calls for ceasefire as rewarding terrorism.[11] Our Fight collaborates with groups like Stop the Hate to pressure venues and authorities into cancelling events critical of the Zionist regime, exemplifying tactics that undermine free expression on anti-Zionism.
Timeline
| Date | Event | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Circa 1993 | National organiser of Workers Against Racism under pseudonym Mark Butler | [1] |
| 1990s-2000s | Contributed articles to Living Marxism and Spiked | [2] |
| October 2023 | Founded Our Fight in response to October 7 events | [9] |
| November 2025 | Organised solidarity actions amid Maccabi Tel Aviv match controversies | [12] |
| February 2026 | Led counter-protest against Anti-Zionist Movement launch in Birmingham | [10] |
See also
External links
Notes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 The Independent, Letter: Labouring under an illusion The Independent, October 11, 1993.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Spiked, Mark Birbeck articles Spiked, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ https://www.freebmd2.org.uk/69fae30ab18f7c3ccbbf3087/entry-information/231015348/mark-r-birbeck-birth-lincolnshire-grimsby-v3b-p341?locale=en&record_hash=fQMgSFVVLCo7U0AEtwLMew&search_entry=231015348
- ↑ https://www.freebmd2.org.uk/69fafb8db18f7c48855d8bb6/entry-information/227494108/robert-birbeck-marriage-cheshire-wrexham-v8a-p769?locale=en&record_hash=guV8WPO3li2Ju8gIqsWRuw&search_entry=227494108
- ↑ Mark Birbeck, Mark Birbeck blog Mark Birbeck, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ LinkedIn, Mark Birbeck profile LinkedIn, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ LETTER: THE REAL CHALLENGE TO RACISM BYLINE: MARK BUTLER The Guardian (London) September 19, 1992 SECTION: THE GUARDIAN FEATURES PAGE; Pg. 24.
- ↑ Letter: Labouring under an illusion BYLINE: From MR MARK BUTLER The Independent (London) October 11, 1993, Monday SECTION: COMMENT PAGE; Page 17
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 Our Fight, About Us Our Fight, accessed February 9, 2026.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Jewish Chronicle, Launch of 'zio eradication' group cancelled by venue The Jewish Chronicle, February 4, 2026.
- ↑ i24 News, Mark Birbeck on i24NEWS i24 News, February 6, 2026.
- ↑ BBC, Jews in Birmingham speak of their 'terror' at antisemitic abuse BBC, December 18, 2025.