The Windsor Visit – A Bad Week for Irish Journalism

For months the political, business and media establishment have told us that the Windsor visit would result in all sorts of benefits and positive changes for this state.  So now as she has finally left our shores, what are all these benefits and what exactly has changed as a result of this visit?  Has there been any postive political developments?  Has there been any change in the relationship between the peoples of Britain and Ireland?

According to Kathy Sheridan writing in the Irish Times on Wednesday - 'All is changed, changed utterly'. The reality however is completely different. Look beyond the media hype and spin and it is clear that nothing has changed at all.

As the Windsors departed our shores yesterday (Friday) their government continue to deny the Irish people the right to self-determination. Just one hundred miles up the road from our capital city, 5000 British troops continue to occupy the six counties. The 9000 strong human rights abusing British paramilitary police – the RUC/PSNI – and the hundreds of MI5 operatives who enforce the occupation remain in place also.

The RUC/PSNI continue to engage in a systematic campaign of harassment and intimidation against those who dare challenge British rule in Ireland. They continue to carry out house-raids and terrorise nationalist estates as well as engaging in illegal stop and search operations which violate human rights legislation.

The internment of ex republican POW's has also been stepped up with Marian Price last week being the latest to be jailed at the behest of the British government without trial. The denial of political status for republican prisoners, their ill-treatment and torture and miscarriages of justice all continue unabated.

Have the families of the victims of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings, the anniversary of which was the very day Windsor arrived in Dublin, received a commitment that the British government will open their secret files on their role in the atrocities? Once more the answer is no as Britain rules out doing so, denying justice yet again to the families. Yet not a single whimper of protest from the sorry excuse for leaders of this so-called 'republic' who were too busy bowing and scraping before the 'British Royals' to stand up for the people they claim to govern on behalf of.

As for the relationship between the people of Ireland and Britain, nothing has changed there either.

Why not?  Put simply this visit was never about them. This was about a select wealthy political and business elite who care nothing for the working class people of either Ireland or Britain. It was about 'normalising', not relations between Irish and British people, but rather the continued military and political occupation of the six counties.

Over recent months the establishment went into overdrive promoting this visit and trying to downplay and silence opposition to it.  However, even more shameful was the unquestioning sycophantic role played by the corporate media over this visit. We have been treated to months and months of meaningless platitudes such as 'its time to move on', 'leave the past behind us', 'forgive and forget' and the extreme nonsense that somehow welcoming an undemocratic, sectarian, head of an occupying army is somehow us as a nation 'maturing'.

Gardai try to Intimidate éirígí activists legally erecting posters in Dublin on eve of Windsor visit

In a prime example of how overwhelmingly pro-establishment, compliant and gutless the corporate media in this state is, they ensured that there was absolutely no critical analysis of these platitudes and bogus assertions. There was virtually no questioning of the basis of any of those claims regardless of how ludricous they were. Instead they merely produced article after article, opinion piece after opinion piece, parroting the 'consensus' of how great the English Monarch is and how great this visit would be for all of us.  And as for anyone who had the cheek to question this consensus the corporate media spared no effort in their attempts to portray them as somehow being political dinosaurs filled with hate and bitterness.

So it would have been hard to imagine that Irish corporate media coverage of the actual visit itself could be any more cringeworthy. However, to be fair to them, they made a sterling effort and succeeded to produce four days of vomit inducing commentary that ignored the opposition to it and ignored the plight of Dublin residents suffering under the massive security operation and lock-down. They also deliberately ignored the co-ordinated and illegal actions of the Gardai in attempting to prevent legitimate peaceful protest.

Union Jack Flies above Government Buildings Dublin while Gardai throw Irish National Flag in Refuse truck

None dared break the consensus and report on Gardai stealing posters and banners or throwing the national flag in rubbish bins and refuse trucks as they effectively banned it from the capital city of this state. There was no questioning as to whether the tens of millions of euros spent on this visit would have been better spent elsewhere, such as in our hospitals and schools or for Special Needs Assistants and Carers or to assist the families of victims of British atrocities.

They did not dare direct their “move forward” comments towards Windsor and her government. Surely it would have been appropriate to ask that in order to 'move forward' and 'put the past behind us' that the British finally end their occupation of the six counties? Surely they could have asked them if they were genuine in wanting improved relations between Ireland and Britain that they open up their secret files on their involvement in the Dublin/Monaghan bombings and other atrocities they committed in collusion with the unionist death squads (whose leaders were her special guests at islandbridge on Wednesday)?

But no, silence on these issues was the consensus. No mention of the fact that these troops of hers continue to commit atrocities around the world.  Indeed within hours of Windsor departing from Ireland, hundreds of her notorious Royal Irish Regiment (RIR) soldiers marched through Ballymena after completing their latest stint in their brutal occupation of Afghanistan. 

No mention of the fact that she is a war crimes apologist. No mention of the fact that she continues to refuse to strip from the Paratroopers responsible for the Bloody Sunday massacre the honours that she awarded those murderers. 

Instead we heard a narrative of a little old lady and her husband over for a few quiet days in Ireland to promote peace and goodwill.  And no 'journalist' dared ask the obvious question – what exactly is it about this anti-democratic, sectarian, war crimes apologist who lives a life of privilege, that has the leaders of this so-called 'republic' here in the 26 counties almost wetting themselves with excitement at the prospect of being in her company and fawning over her? 

The one sure thing that could be said about the Irish corporate media's coverage was that it could not be described, no matter how broad a definition used, as 'journalism'. Those that produced such biased, unquestioning and sycophantic reports in this propaganda blitz should hang their heads in shame. It has exposed yet again a complete lack of any credible mainstream media outlet willing to critically examine or question the political establishment line.

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Illegal Garda Actions Fail to Stop Anti-Royal Protests

Edited May 19th 2011 - Video footage added

éirígí Sligeach activist Gerry Casey has said that the state's anti-democratic and draconian efforts to prevent protests and intimidate protesters against the Windsor visit have failed miserably. He said the blatantly illegal and bully boy tactics used by Gardai exposed once again the fact that they are a political police force who break their own laws at will.

Casey was speaking on the second day of protests in Dublin at the Windsor visit and the presence of up to 30 UDA henchman at a ceremony at Islandbridge today.

Casey said: "The intimidatory and illegal bully boy tactics by Gardai in recent days has exposed the fundamentally anti-democratic nature of this state. Gardai have acted in a deliberate and illegal manner. They have threatened and harassed political activists engaged in leafleting and postering. They have illegally torn down posters and stolen them from activists, despite permission and permits from Dublin City Council to do so."

"As éirígí activists were about to lay a wreath at Kilmainham jail this morning close to Islandbridge to honour the memory of those who fought for Irish freedom, more than a dozen Gardai using notorious public order legislation searched the car of éirígí Dublin City Councillor Louise Minihan and seized political material. Amongst the items seized was a banner that read 'Fund Communities - Not Royal Visits'. The Gardai's reason was that they deemed this banner, which was in the boot of her car, as 'offensive'. They have also removed banners from private residences and seized banners off other éirígí activists including one which read 'Freedom for Fermanagh' which Gardai ridiculously claimed could 'incite hatred'."

"Over the course of the last two days, despite engaging in solely peaceful protests, I and other activists have been manhandled, assaulted and threatened repeatedly by the so-called 'guardians of the peace'. Earlier this morning, as myself and other éirígí activists postered for tonight's rally in Dublin's South West Inner City, we were stopped, searched, threatened and had our posters stolen by two car loads of plainclothes Gardai outside of Council offices. They refused to show ID and refused to state what act we were being stopped and searched under, despite being legally obliged to do so and being repeatedly asked. Even after showing Gardai our permit and even when a council official came out and told Gardai that we did have permission, they persisted in stealing the posters."

Casey added: "I was physically manhandled in that incident. As I took video footage of an éirígí protest at the spire yesterday (Tues May 17) I was assaulted and dragged to the ground by Gardai in a bid to prevent me filming their illegal actions and political policing."

"This illegal behaviour and bully boy tactics against peaceful protests only serves to underline the fundamentally anti-democratic nature of the state. It exposes the lie that there is freedom of assembly, freedom to engage in peaceful protest and freedom to organise political activity within this state. As we have repeatedly seen in Mayo, peaceful protest is only tolerated if the state and the Gardai say so. It will not be tolerated if they believe it threatens the interests of the political and business elite."

Casey concluded: "This week, the Gardai basically tore up their own law book and acted in an organised illegal manner. However, they have failed to stop the protests and once again éirígí will be marching on Dublin Castle this evening from 5.30pm where the wealthy elite will be wined and dined with Windsor at tax-payers expense. As with her visit to the Garden of Remembrance, Windsor and her entourage will leave Dublin Castle in no doubt that she is not welcome here as the chants of 'Can you hear us loud and clear - British royals not welcome here'."

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'British Queen' for the Guillotine

éirígí are to hold a protest at the GPO in Dublin this Saturday April 16th at 1pm,  which will see the symbolic beheading of an effigy of 'Elizabeth Windsor' in a French revolution-style mock guillotine.

It is the latest in a series of demonstrations organised by the socialist republican party against the upcoming state visit by Elizabeth Windsor to the Twenty Six Counties.

Speaking in advance of Saturday's protest, Cathaoirleach éirígí Brian Leeson said:

“With the Windsor state visit due to begin in Dublin in just over a month éirígí are stepping up its campaign of opposition to the visit.  This Saturday's protest is just the latest that éirígí have organised against the parading of the British head of state and commander-in-chief of the British Army through the streets of Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland.”

He added:  “As éirígí has already pointed out, the timing of the visit is deliberately provocative.  It is designed to rub salt in the wounds of the victims of British state violence, beginning as it does on the 37th anniversary
of the Dublin/Monaghan bombings.”

“And if that was not bad enough, Windsor will attend events at the Garden of Remembrance and Trinity College within yards of the site of the explosions at Parnell Street, Talbot Street and South Leinster Street where 26 people were killed.  The British state continue to this day to thwart all efforts to reveal the truth about British military involvement in those bombings.”

Leeson also revealed the reasons behind the inclusion at Saturday's protest of a piece of street theatre that will see an effigy of Elizabeth Windsor symbolically beheaded in a mock guillotine.

“The guillotine has been chosen to make a very serious political point. It is closely associated with the French revolution, when the people of that country threw off the chains of monarchy in favour of freedom and republicanism based on equality, liberty and fraternity. And that was over two hundred years ago.”

“Yet two centuries later our people are still expected to bend the knee to a woman who was born into her role as head of the British state and commander-in-chief of the British military – a state and a military which
continue to occupy the Six Counties.”

He concluded:  “The mock guillotining of Elizabeth Windsor symbolises that which needs to happen to all of those political and economic systems which are based upon inherited privilege, imperialism and class. The time of monarchy, imperialism and exploitation is well and truly past. Nothing makes that point quite as clearly as the guillotine.”

RIR Stunts Will Be Opposed

éirígí candidate for the Lower Falls in the forthcoming local government elections in the Six Counties John McCusker has said any attempt by the British army to hold a parade in Belfast will be actively opposed by the socialist republican party.

The British Ministry of Defence recently announced that they plan to parade soldiers from the Royal Irish Regiment through the streets of the Six Counties when they return from the war against Afghanistan in May.

In 2008, hundreds of people attended an éirígí demonstration in opposition to an RIR parade through Belfast city centre.

 

McCusker said: “The Royal Irish Regiment is about as welcome in Ireland as it is in Afghanistan, which is not very welcome at all.

“If the British Ministry of Defence thinks it can march the RIR through the streets of Belfast without facing opposition then it is gravely mistaken; it should have learnt its lesson in 2008.

“The British army is an army of occupation.  In both Afghanistan and Ireland, it acts as the military enforcer of the diktats and interests of foreign politicians and business interests.  It has no positive role to play in either
country.”

 

McCusker added: “At a time when Britain is involved in its latest imperialist offensive, this time against the people of Libya, it is even more incumbent that the glorification of these mass murderers is opposed at every turn.

“éirígí will be actively opposing any British army propaganda stunt that involves the parading of killers in uniform through Irish streets.  We call on all republicans, socialists and democrats to do likewise.”

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].”

Resist Normalisation – Oppose Armed Forces Day

Britain's Armed Forces Day takes place this Saturday (June 26). As well as the many triumphalist and jingoistic parades and events that are taking place throughout Britain, events to mark Armed Forces Day are disgracefully to be held in a number of locations within the occupied six counties here in Ireland. Amongst the events on Saturday to mark this occasion will be the raising of a British military flag over Belfast City Hall.

If we were to believe the official Armed Forces Day website, the day is “an annual opportunity for the nation to Show Your Support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community”.

Indeed earlier this week British Prime Minister David Cameron was also urging people to support Armed Forces Day and wave the union jack. Cameron claimed that “there is huge respect for the Armed Forces community out there, and I want that expressed more loudly and more proudly. As someone once said, silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone – so next Saturday I hope we see an explosion of red, white and blue all over the country.”

Contrary to Cameron's suggestion, the Irish people do not have 'huge respect' for the British army. Contempt would be a more apt description of Irish peoples views of a military force responsible for Bloody Sunday and many other massacres in Ireland and around the world.

Cameron also needs to be reminded also that the six counties are not his country. They are an integral part of our national terroritory. They are not now and never will be a part of Britain.

British troops have no right to be here in any part of our country. For Irish republicans and nationalists, Armed Forces Day is a deliberate insult to those who suffered at the hands of the British army throughout their occupation which continues to this day. It is an insult to all the families of those who were murdered directly by the British army or by loyalist death squads acting in collusion with the British army.

Sligo éirígí activist Gerry Casey described the 'celebrations' as obscene and an attempt to normalise the continued occupation of our country.

Casey said: “There most definitely is nothing to 'celebrate' about one of the world's most murderous military forces.”

“The British army record in Ireland has been a lengthy, shameful and bloody one. Their occupation, which continues to this day, has been one of intimidation, political repression, assault, torture, collusion and murder. More than 5000 troops remain in the six counties with the Special Reconaissance Regiment (SRR), effectively an undercover British army death squad, back on the streets of the six-counties once more.”

He added: “To 'celebrate' and 'glorify' a force with such an appalling human rights record and a propensity for mass murder is truly obscene. It is nothing short of trampling over the graves of their victims, especially coming less than two weeks after the publication of the Saville Report which was a damning indictment of the British army massacre of civil rights marchers on the streets of Derry on Bloody Sunday 1972.”

“It is also a blatant attempt by the British Government to attempt to normalise the six counties and the continued occupation. However, just like previous attempts at 'normalisation' by successive British governments, republican opposition will ensure that this attempt is doomed to failure also.”

“While some people may now be willing to support a policy of 'normalisation' and administer the occupation from Stormont, Irish Republicans will never accept or legitimise it, will never accept British troops in our country and will continue to resist that occupation for as long as it continues.”

Casey concluded: “Like the British army, éirígí will be marking Armed Forces Day. Unlike the British army, we will not be celebrating their murderous deeds. éirígí will be holding a demonstration to oppose these events taking place in our country outside City Hall in Belfast at 12 midday. Oppose British imperialism and the continued occupation of the six counties and Afghanistan. Bigí linn.”