This is a series explaining the 9 Points of Unity of the Workers Solidarity Movement - an anarchist organisation active on the island of Ireland. [Download PDF of these explanations]
The WSM regularly discusses, debates and decides on what our collective political approach is. The Points of Unity are the most basic political agreement necessary to be a WSM member or supporter. They are 9 short points which outline the anarchism the WSM stands for.
Somewhat good news in the struggle for abortion provision in the north, the courts may refuse to act but grassroots activists are taking to the streets on Sunday. Pressure continues to build following the successful Repeal campaign in the south to introduce abortion law reform north of the border. Join Alliance for Choice as part of the Processions march on June 10th, Titanic Slipways at 12 noon.
The 12th Dublin Anarchist Bookfair takes place on the 15th September 2018 at the Teachers Club 35 Parnell square. Every year hundreds of people attend the Dublin Anarchist Bookfair for a day of inspiring discussions and the opportunity of meeting lots of other radicals, browsing books and meeting campaigns.
It's early days in terms of planning, join the Facebook event to let us know you are coming so we can plan for expected numbers and when you do so ask 10 of your friends who you reckon should go.
So now that the referendum is won and the government is moving towards enacting legislation that allows limited access to abortion, we're starting to hear questions being raised about Together for Yes activists running in elections. [1] For many people, the conspicuous endpoint of any political campaign is for the political activists to put forward one of their number to run for political office. We are going to argue against that for a number of reasons.
For the future of all our movements and struggles, the experience of a confident, well-organised and winning campaign is hugely important. Who knows where we might go with a victory in the Repeal referendum?
On May 25th we finally get to vote to Repeal the hated 8th amendment. Here we present the 8 reasons we are voting Yes to Repeal along with many of the articles we have published on the issue in recent months.
24th May, the eve of the Repeal the 8th referendum in Ireland there was a demonstration of solidarity with Repeal outside the Irish Embassy in Paris.
The demo is organised by international collective;
Abortion: Let Women Decide!
At the start of the referendum campaign in March, I took this photograph showing the poster image of Savita, who died because of the 8th amendment, and in the background a huge billboard with a CGI / cartoon of what is meant to be an 11 week old foetus. Both have the common slogan ‘one of us’ - the photograph invites us to consider if the life of this 31-year-old woman of colour, who was denied a life-saving abortion, really has the same value as an anonymous and unknown 11-week-old foetus.
This is the question we will be voting on this Friday, indeed beyond that we are voting on whether a doctor who gives a life-saving abortion in a Savita-like case should have the threat of a 14-year jail sentence hanging over them - as the 2013 law lays down - whether any of the hundreds of pregnant people taking abortion pills at home in Ireland should be doing so under the risk of that 14-year sentence. That is the law as it stands - to change it, the 8th must be repealed.
Last night we received information (screen shot above) that the No campaign intend to engage in Trump style voter suppression methods by trying to get their people appointed as personation officers at polling stations. They intend to target stations likely to have a high Yes voter the hope that increasing the number of challenges will result in enough Yes voters being unable vote to make a difference if, as is still possible, the result is close. Be sure to bring ID when you go to vote on Friday, the polling card is NOT in itself ID.
While there is a lot of focus on Irish citizens returning home to vote Yes in the Repeal referendum what has received less attention are the huge numbers of non-citizens resident in Ireland who have no vote. They are also trapped under the 8th amendment. Some 3,000 have recently received Irish Citizenship but shockingly it turns out they have not been added to the electoral register even though arrangements are made for young people turning 18 just before May 25th.
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