Cameron Visit a Propaganda Stunt

éirígí general secretary Breandán MacCionnaith has said that today’s visit by David Cameron to the Six Counties amounts to nothing more than a propaganda stunt for his government’s anti-social agenda.

 

The Tory prime minister will today [Thursday] address MLAs in Britain’s Stormont assembly after being welcomed by his first and deputy first ministers.  Writing in a Belfast newspaper, Cameron earlier lauded the success of the normalisation strategy and said that the Six County state was now more stable and secure than
at any time since before the start of the civil rights campaign.

Cameron also argued for more privatisation of services and indicated that the corporation tax in occupied Ireland is a step closer to being slashed.

MacCionnaith said: “David Cameron’s flying visit to his Irish colony is nothing more than a propaganda stunt for his anti-social cuts agenda and the program of pacifying the North.

“That he will address an assembly of pliant local politicians is indicative ofmthe fact that the Stormont administration is completely wedded to the Tory government’s anti-social economic agenda and is willing to act as its Irish enforcer.”

MacCionnaith continued: “The reality is that the Six County state remains an economic and political slum.

“There are more than 100,000 people on dole queues, while wages and living standards lag way behind those in Britain. Meanwhile, republican prisoners are being forced onto a no wash protest and the British secretary of state is happily signing orders to detain innocent people indefinitely.

“Not a single politician will today have the courage or the integrity to challenge David Cameron about any of these injustices.  Instead, they will take part in the charade that everything in this rotten statelet is fine and dandy and act accordingly.

“However, éirígí and many others know that everything in this rotten statelet is far from fine and dandy and we also intend to act accordingly.”

West Belfast Result bodes well for Socialist Republican Resurgence

éirígí Sligeach activist Gerry Casey has said that the West Belfast result from last week's local government elections in the six-counties was clear evidence of the ever increasing support for éirígí and its socialist republican analysis.  He was speaking following the count in Belfast yesterday (Monday) where éirígí  candidates received more than 2000 votes in West Belfast.

Pádraic Mac Coitir, who was standing in the Upper Falls constituency, polled 1,415 votes [11.3 per cent], while John McCusker, who was standing in the Lower Falls constituency, polled 647 votes [6.6 per cent].

Congratulating the two candidates and those party activists and supporters who worked tirelessly during this campaign, Casey said that this was yet another step forward in the resurgence of a movement for a Socialist Republic.

He said:   "The decision of the party to contest this election, our first electoral outing, was only taken at our recent Ard Fheis at the end of January (see here).  And while others used vast financial resources, black propaganda and even intimidation to counter our challenge, more than 2000 people seen through this deceit and voted for éirígí and the issues we brought to this campaign - an end to British rule, an end to poverty and the creation of a socialist republic."

"Yesterday's result shows clearly that éirígi's Socialist Republican analysis is gaining support in significant numbers.  And while the party has always been consistent in its view that the aim of a socialist republic will not be attained through the ballot box, to attain such a sizeable vote  on our first election is very significant indeed." (To read our Policy Document 'Elections, Elected Institutions & Ireland's Revolutionary Struggle' click here)

At the conclusion of the count, Lower Falls candidate John McCusker said:   “Despite claims to the contrary, it has now been proven beyond fear of contradiction that éirígí has a large support base in west Belfast."

“Last Thursday, more than 2,000 people took the effort to go out and declare their support for éirígí, its strategy and the politics of socialist republicanism. On behalf of éirígí, I would like to thank these people and encourage them to get onto the streets in opposition to the cuts in the time ahead."

“The republican struggle is, slowly but surely, being rebuilt and today was another positive development in that process.  éirígí brought to this election the politics of socialist republicanism and the dedication and determination of our members and supporters. We are proud of our campaign and the result it has achieved."

“éirígí will continue to campaign for the rights of the working people of west Belfast and for the political, social and economic liberation of all the working people of this country.”

 Pádraic Mac Coitir added: “When éirígí entered this election campaign, its objective was to demonstrate a significant support base for socialist republican politics in west Belfast. Today, it is undeniable that such a support base exists in large numbers."

“I would like to thank all those republicans and socialists who came out to vote for éirígí and the politics we espouse. A vote for éirígí was a vote against the cuts, a vote against partition and a vote for a radical socialist republican alternative; large numbers of people have responded to that message in a positive manner."

“I would also like to thank the many, many republican activists who devoted so much time over the last number of weeks in fighting an effective, coherent campaign for éirígí. The contribution from every single one of them was invaluable.”

He continued:  “We must organise on the streets, in our communities and in our workplaces to build a movement for real change. We hope that all those who voted éirígí in this election, and the massive amounts of people who decided not to vote, will join this campaign in the time ahead."

"Today, the support for a radical, socialist republican alternative has been demonstrated unequivocally.”

éirígí Announces Names of Belfast City Council Candidates

éirígí has announced the names of two candidates who will be standing in May’s Six County local government elections.

John McCusker and Pádraic Mac Coitir will both be standing in Belfast; McCusker in the Lower Falls constituency and Mac Coitir in the Upper Falls area.

The socialist republican party took the decision to intervene in the council elections at its Belfast Ard-Fheis on January 23.

Republican ex-prisoner and former blanketman Pádraic Mac Coitir lives in the Lenadoon area of west Belfast and has been involved in socialist republican and community politics since 1970.

He said: “When I first became involved in the republican struggle, the goals of the civil rights movement were making the headlines, including the right to a job and the right to a home. Forty years later, these very basic and very limited demands have still not been achieved.

“This is why there is a need for a party like éirígí to stand in these elections: to reinvigorate the struggle for social and economic justice and the fight against partition and the British occupation.

“I am very proud to have been chosen by the éirígí membership to represent the party and its socialist republican politics and I am looking forward to engaging with as many working class people as possible in west Belfast over the next number of months.”

Thirty-three-year-old Falls Road man John McCusker holds a masters in international politics and has been involved in the republican struggle all his adult life.

He said: “In light of the current economic crisis, it is clear that the old solutions and the old institutions have failed west Belfast miserably. What éirígí is bringing to this election is a platform that stands for active opposition to British government and Stormont cuts, a platform that offers an alternative to discrimination, poverty and partition and a platform that stands for rebuilding strong, vibrant communities.

“I am honoured to represent that platform and the politics of éirígí.”

Announcing their candidature, cathaoirleach éirígí Brian Leeson said: “In line with the decision taken by the party membership at our recent Ard-Fheis, éirígí will be standing candidates in both of the west Belfast local government constituencies.

“John McCusker and Pádraic Mac Coitir are two sterling activists who have devoted decades between them in fighting for the rights of working class people and in pursuance of socialist republican objectives.

“West Belfast has been discriminated against for decades and remains one of the most socially and economically deprived areas in western Europe. This was the case 20 years ago and it remains the case today. The vicious cuts which are being implemented by the British government and its Stormont administration are going to make an already bad situation an awful lot worse.

“éirígí is standing in this election to give the working class people of west Belfast an opportunity to say enough is enough. The fight back against poverty and partition, against inequality and exploitation starts now and there are no two better people to be at the forefront of that fight than John McCusker and Pádraic Mac Coitir.”

Leeson added: “Elections will constitute only part of that fight back. Ultimately, real change in this society will only come about when enough people get politically active in their communities, on the streets and in their workplaces.

“This will be the core message of éirígí’s electoral campaign: Together, working class people have the power to stop and rollback the cuts and, eventually, remove those responsible from power.”

éirígí Announce Protest for Blair Book Signing

éirígí has reiterated its demand for the former British prime minister Tony Blair to be arrested for war crimes if he enters the Twenty-Six Counties.

The demand was made as the socialist republican party announced it will be staging a demonstration outside Eason’s bookshop on O'Connell Street, Dublin at 10am on Saturday [September 4], where Blair is scheduled to attend a book signing event.

 

 

Partners in Crime - Tony Blair & George Bush

 

Announcing the protest, éirígí spokesperson Daithí Mac An Mhaistír said Blair's legacy is one of illegal invasions, occupations and war crimes.

Mac An Mhaistír said: “Tony Blair is a war criminal, with the blood of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians on his hands.  Alongside his US allies, Blair launched brutal and bloody wars against the people of Afghanistan and Iraq.  More than 1.3 million Iraqis are believed to have been killed during the illegal invasion and subsequent occupation.

 

"This man should be arrested and put before the International Criminal Court.”

 

He continued: “In Afghanistan, casualties continue to mount as the occupation and slaughter of civilians continues.  Blair’s justifications for these invasions are a tissue of lies and deceit.  His book is an attempt to rewrite history and justify his role in these illegal wars and the countless war crimes committed by British troops.

“In his time as British prime minister, Blair also oversaw the normalisation of the British occupation in the Six Counties and the murder by pro-British forces of nationalist civilians, including human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson.  He also blocked all attempts to secure the truth about collusion between British forces and unionist death squads, in particular their role in the Dublin/Monaghan bombings.”

Mac An Mhaistír concluded:  “The book promotion in Eason’s is an insult to the victims of Blair's war crimes and Eason's should withdraw their invitation to him.  If Blair proceeds with his visit, éirígí will be highlighting his crimes and staging a protest outside Eason's from 10am on Saturday [September 4].”