|
Comment on this article |
View comments |
Email this Feature
|
|
Hidden with code "Other" () |
|
News :: International |
|
Dissident Republicanism |
|
by Tim Ledwith
Email: saoirse1220 (nospam) yahoo.com (unverified!) |
27 Jan 2005
|
|
Despite the efforts of the British, Irish, and U.S. establishment, the Protestant Loyalist parties and paramilitaries, and the leadership of Sinn Fein and the Provisional I.R.A., the dissident Irish Republican movement (those opposed to the 1998 Stormont Treaty also known as the “Good Friday Agreements”) is still very much alive and is still fighting for freedom in Northern Ireland. |
|
For a whole assortment of reasons activism in the U.S. related to Northern Ireland just doesn’t prevail like it used to. Whether it is a lack of interest on the Left and the lack of unity among Irish political organizations, the focus has been off Northern Ireland in recent years. In the past issues like “Bloody Sunday”, when 14 innocent civilians were killed by British forces during a peaceful protest on Jan. 30th, 1972, and the “1981 Hunger Strike”, when 10 Irish political prisoners led by Bobby Sands starved themselves to death at Maze Prison in protest of British prison policy, have galvanized American support both in and out of the Irish Republican movement. Absent such stimulating issues Irish activism in the U.S. is for the most part carried out by Irish Republican groups which are not unified, especially in wake of the “Good Friday Agreements” (GFA).
Though they may not admit it, Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Provisional Irish Republican Army (a.k.a. the I.R.A. or Provos) led by Gerry Adams, suspended the goal of unified Ireland when they signed on to the in 1998 Stormont Treaty or “Good Friday Agreement. The “26 + 6 = 1” mantra that was at the core of Republican ideology was signed away with the false promise of “peace”. The accords have done little more than solidify British occupation and the those on the Irish side have yet to even acquire their side of the deal, which isn’t even that good to begin with. Despite this, Sinn Fein and Provos still hold tight their commitment to the treaty and along with their British and Loyalist counterparts they do whatever they can to quell resistance to the treaty. Anti-Treaty Republicans in the North have been subject to brutality and kidnapping at the hands of the Provos, who appear to have learned a thing or two from their British oppressors.
Delours Price, the former Republican prisoner who as a teenage girl was convicted in the infamous 1972 bombing of Old Bailey and Great Scotland Yard Police Station, said this of the Sinn Fein establishment in an article she wrote in back in May of 2004: “I have no time for people who constantly change their position, cement hard gathered weapons into the ground, abduct people and put them down bogs, beat those who do not agree with their rules, have a finger in every financial pie going and seem to have done very nicely for themselves in their day to day lives. They are not Republicans, they are Stalinists. They have turned a once noble Army into an armed militia whose only role is to strong arm any opposition to their insatiable political greed and opportunism.” This sentiment is one shared by many in the dissident Republican community, who not only have to look out for Loyalist and British oppressors, but for their former Republican allies as well.
Many outside the community, especially in the U.S. are meant to believe that dissident Republicans are merely ultra-violent militants from the Real IRA (RIRA) and the Continuity IRA (CIRA), which are both paramilitary organizations and listed as terrorist groups both overseas and in the U.S. Situations such as the Omagh bombing in 1999 have helped bolster this message. Political groups like Republican Sinn Fein (RSF), the 32 County Sovereignty Movement (32 CSM), and the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA) are unfairly branded as foreign terrorist organizations along with RIRA and CIRA in the U.S. All three organizations oppose the GFA and such a designation in U.S., which has in the past been a hotbed for Republican financial support, suits both the interests of the Brits and the Sinn Fein leadership. It is interesting to note that even though the terrorist designation of the organizations listed above are according to the State Department predicated on information provided by the Irish and British government, both the Irish and the Brits have yet to make such a designation themselves. As Matt Kavanah, an activist with the Boston branch of the anti-Treaty U.S. organization the Irish Freedom Committee, pointed out in an article he wrote for the online journal “The Blanket”, the Brits have concluded that 32CSM and IRPWA “engage solely in lawful political speech and legitimate fundraising efforts.” He quotes British Lord Williams of Mostyn as saying, “…on the basis of the evidence currently available, the Government assesses that the 32 County Sovereignty Movement is not concerned in terrorism, as defined in statute.” Hmmm, apparently the State Department has overlooked that bit of information put out the British government.
Even though groups like 32CSM can’t legally operate in or receive funds from American citizens, the dissident voice is still alive here. Organizations like the Irish Freedom Committee and radio programs like “Radio Free Eireann” on WBAI in NY still fight to provide U.S. activists information on what’s really going on over in Northern Ireland. Activists in the states should know that the Republican movement isn’t as complicated as it seems and that the spirit of “Tiocfaidh ar La” (translated: Our Day Will Come”), is still alive but needs support.
Some useful resources on the web:
The Blanket: A Journal of Protest and Dissent
http://lark.phoblacht.net
The Irish Freedom Committee
http://www.irishfreedomcommittee.net/
The National Irish Freedom Committee and “Radio Free Eireann”
http://www.irishfreedom.net/
Republican Sinn Fein
http://rsf.ie/
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement and the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association
http://www.32csm.netfirms.com/home.html |
|
Re: |
by Diana
gigi (nospam) gigi.it (unverified) |
19 May 2006
|
|
A good site, good short contents of the good work. Congratulations!
http://custom.blshost.com/der/auf-der-maur.html
http://basketball.blshost.com/bbs/bbs-teen.html
http://chicas.blshost.com/china/china-news.html
http://adult.gaietymaster.com/pregnant-sex/can-from-get-oral-pregnant-sex.htm
http://film.gaietymaster.com/acting-audition/nyc-acting-audition.htm
http://adult.gaietymaster.com/sex-picture/adult-sex-picture.htm
http://custom.blshost.com/data/data-management.html
http://center.blshost.com/chat/free-chat-rooms.html
http://muschi.blshost.com/nago/anna-mucha-nago.html
http://adult.gaietymaster.com/iran-sex/iran-sex-video.htm
http://blow.blshost.com/blowjob/blow-free-job.html |
|
Re: |
by Diana
seva (nospam) pidor.com (unverified) |
19 May 2006
|
|
Interesting site! Keep up the great work. :-)..!
<a href=http://blow.blshost.com/blue/blue-eyes.html>blue eyes</a>
<a href=></a>
http://blow.blshost.com/blue/blue-eyes.html
[url=http://blow.blshost.com/blue/blue-eyes.html]blue eyes[/url]
[url=][/url] |
