Since the coronavirus outbreak there have been many restrictions imposed on communities. Many have been necessary in fighting the virus but in other cases state agents are exploiting the regulations to victimise people, particularly those within prisons.
In recent days Palestinian native and activist, Dr Issam Hijjawi, was moved from Maghaberry gaol to an outside hospital. On his return to prison the regime has refused to let him onto the wing with fellow Republicans, instead keeping him under lock & key in Foyle House, claiming he has to be ‘isolated’ for further 14 days. This has angered many and they argue he could be moved to an empty cell on the wing.
The IRPWA have stressed concern regarding the degrading conditions within Foyle House that Issam has been detained in which could exacerbate his pre-existing medical conditions.
Issam has now commenced a 2 week hunger strike, demanding he be returned to Roe 4. Republican prisoners in Maghaberry and Portlaoise have now also embarked on a 14 day hunger strike in solidarity with their Palestinian comrade.
Issam is 1 of 10 Republicans who have recently been interned on the word of British Supergrass Dennis McFadden. Lasair Dhearg sends our solidarity and support for the demands of the prisoners.
The celebrations of the past week in Ireland are a welcome reminder of the indestructible nature of the spirit of freedom. Who would have thought in August, 1914, that in March, 1916, the principle of a distinct and separate existence for Irish Nationality would evoke such splendid manifestations of popular support and popular approval. In August, 1914, it seemed to many of the most hopeful of us that Ireland had at length taken its final plunge into the abyss of Imperialism, and bade a long farewell to all hopes of a separate unfettered existence as a nation.
Plans carefully laid for years before had been suddenly and relentlessly put in operation. A party of Parliamentary representatives elected to obtain Home Rule from England, and without any mandate expressing hostility to any other people, suddenly claimed the power and right to pledge the manhood of Ireland to battle with a friendly nation – a nation whose last public act towards Ireland had been an attempt to open the port of Queenstown when shut by English intrigue. The same Parliamentary Party publicly renounced all hope and desire that this country should ever attain the status of nationhood, and expressly limited the ambitions of Ireland to such freedoms as the British Government would judge to be not incompatible with the British Empire. Having so limited the claims and renounced the hopes of Ireland this Parliamentary Party consummated its treason by calling upon their fellow countrymen to go out to die, in order to win for Belgium those national rights and powers they had just renounced the right to claim for Ireland.
A new mural created on the Falls Road by Belfast branch members of Lasair Dhearg. The mural commemorates James Connolly, and features his oft’ used quote contained in this article.
The public press, the vaunted guardians of public liberty, sold themselves in a body to the Government that had publicly pledged itself not to interfere with an Orange-cum-militarist conspiracy against the liberties of Ireland, and immediately became the foulest slanderers and vilifiers of all who stood by the national cause they had deserted.
The few papers that refused to be bullied, or to be bought, were ruthlessly suppressed by military force.
All over Ireland the public representatives whom a lifetime of political intrigue, vote-hunting and job-hunting had debased and demoralised, yielded at the first onset of the new Irish Imperialism, and joyfully, eagerly, exultantly sold their country and their country’s cause.
August, 1914, and the months immediately succeeding it, were months of darkness and of national tribulation. If the darkest hour is that before the dawn, then the dawn should not be far off, for surely no darker hour could come for Ireland than that we passed through in the beginning of this English war upon Germany.
But slowly, gradually, but persistently, the forces standing for the social and national freedom of Ireland won the people back to greater sanity and clearer visions. Despite imprisonment, despite persecution, despite suppression of newspapers, despite avalanches of carefully framed lies, the truth made headway throughout the country. The people saw clearer and clearer that nothing had been changed in Ireland, that Ireland was still denied every prerogative that makes for true nationhood, that her interests were still subject to the interests of a rival country, that the Home Rule Act expressly declared for the subjection of Ireland as a permanent condition, that the Redmond-Devlin party had sold the birthright of their country in return for the valueless promise of a Government that did not even keep faith with its own countrymen or women, that the British Empire and the freedom or prosperity of the Irish people were two things that could not exist together in Ireland, and that therefore one or the other must forever and utterly perish.
All through Ireland last week the manhood and womanhood of the nation have gladly, enthusiastically proclaimed their realisation of those truths. This 17th of March will be forever memorable for that reason. The magnificent parades of Volunteers under arms, the overflowing meetings, the joyous abandon of the Irish gatherings of all descriptions, and above all the exultant rebel note everywhere manifest, all, all were signs that the cause of freedom is again in the ascendant in Ireland.
The Cause is not lost, this 17th of March has assured us that despite all the treasons of all the traitors Ireland still remains as pure in heart as ever, and though Empires fall and tyrannies perish
Racism is a cancerous disease that is slowly infecting our communities, an ideology that is latching itself onto working class issues such as housing, health care and employment.
The rise of Racism isn’t a new phenomenon, however, it feels new. It has been brewing in Ireland for decades, but why is it now, that it is deemed acceptable and why is it, that now it’s legitimised?
We have seen the rise of far right parties and organisations all over Europe and further afield in the last decade, but we have ignored it in Ireland.
Justin Barrett AKA ‘Littler’ of the ‘National Party’
The National (Nazi) Party was formed in 2016 by Fascists, Justin Barrett and James Reynolds. Barrett has attended and spoke at events organised by the Fascist NDP in Germany, and also the Forza Nuova in Italy. He has called for a blanket ban on Muslims entering Ireland, and the party advocates Racial Profiling.
The Irish Freedom Party (IFP) was founded in 2018, and current party president is Hermann Kelly. Kelly is an advocate of the ‘Great Replacement’ theory, a white nationalist ideology that spouts belief in one master race.
There is also a plethora of individual ‘activists’ across this island that are not aligned to the political parties above, but are very popular among the Catholic middle class and the defranchised working classes – these ‘activists’ are also racist.
Fascism has a long history in Ireland, and there seems a naivety, that as progressive people it does not exist. There is an ignorance around racism that it’s somewhat acceptable to say ‘knacker’, ‘tinker’, ‘chink’ and ‘gypsy’ but not use other derogatory terms. This still makes you a racist.
The far right are rising, and they are recruiting within our communities, north, south and on either side of the so-called ‘peace walls’. Organiser’s will cloud their hate speech with populist and topical issues, making it difficult to disagree with their advances – and this is how they legitimise it.
Never tolerate racism, it might be a ‘harmless’ joke, it might be a throwaway comment and it also might be genuine hatred, but it grows.
[VIDEO] “F*ck Tribeca. We want homes, not capitalism!”
We visited the offices of Sinn Féin and the DUP last night to say, “F*ck Tribeca, we want homes, not capitalism!”
In light of the £500 million ‘Tribeca’ business investment forced through by Sinn Féin and the DUP, we’ve been highlighting the housing and poverty figures in the Six Counties; which remain after decades of Stormont government.
Activists also visited the derelict buildings of Belfast’s Cathedral Quarter, which faces being demolished and replaced with offices and retail space. Like we need any more?
Sinn Féin and the DUP in government have shown their complete disregard for working class communities, in favour of their pals in the business and retail sector. Tribeca will bring prosperity for the tycoons and the 1% but not the rest of us.
Build homes, not business empires!
We say, “F*ck Tribeca. We want homes, not capitalism!”
‘Know Your Rights’ – Lasair Dhearg Launch Digital Campaign
Lasair Dhearg has announced the launch of a new digital campaign ensuring that a growing number of people are aware of their rights in various scenarios, including housing, welfare and during possible ‘Stop & Search’ activity by state forces.
Pádraic MacCoitir – ‘Know Your Rights’ – Lasair Dhearg Launch Digital Campaign
Lasair Dhearg spokesperson Pádraic MacCoitir said, “Our organisation held a public meeting earlier this year discussing the impact of new legislation being brought forward by the British state that is no doubt intended to have a massive impact on the activities of political and community activists.”
“Whilst the ‘Counter-Terrorism and Border Security Act’ is new, it’s purpose and intent isn’t, as Britain has consistently brough forward new legislative provisions allowing them an ever increasing role in preventing genuine political and community activity.”
“What is also clear, is that those subject to these laws are likely to have more detrimental outcomes if they do not know how the laws affect them, or indeed what their rights are. It was for this reason that our membership have decided upon the launch of a new ‘Know Your Rights’ campaign which, it is hoped, would allow an increasing understanding of the legislation at play across Ireland, and indeed what the requirements are for those being subject to them.”
‘Know Your Rights’ – Lasair Dhearg public meeting.
“Our campaign is intended to cover ‘stop & search’ rights initially, and will in the coming months expand to cover housing rights, welfare rights and more.”
The Tribeca Debacle: Sinn Féin-DUP in Bed with Big Business.
The Sinn Féin-DUP coalition forces £500million Tribeca development through Belfast City Council in the face of much opposition. The Council vote saw the main parties reject a motion against the development last week brought forward by smaller opposition groups.
Ciarán O’Brien, “The Tribeca Debacle: Sinn Féin-DUP in Bed with Big Business.”
Speaking regarding the vote, Lasair Dhearg spokesperson Ciarán O’Brien said that, “It seems that the Stormont Sinn Féin-DUP coalition firmly places their hopes on big business to drag our communities out of poverty, with the expectation that some of that £500 million capital investment will translate into jobs and taxes. This is a business model dreamt up by neo-liberal thatcherites and which has, over many generations, failed to lift the tens thousands of homeless families and poverty stricken Irish children out of destitution.”
“These so-called ‘economic experts’ either fail to realise, or do not care, that if such an amount of money was properly invested in working class communities it would lead to genuine economic prosperity. Building homes creates jobs, it lowers the cost of living, allowing consumers to spend more in our economy instead of bumper profits being driven off shore by those with other interests.”
Ciarán said, “This Tribeca investment represents the unity of government and business; it symbolises the complete failure of those elected to represent us to do just that. Whatever the 1% invests in Ireland, they only do so in order to extract even more from the pockets of those on the lowest rungs of the social ladder; normal working people.”
“Tribeca is the next step in the long race to the bottom. The battle lines are being drawn in a society where rents are ever increasing and the cost of living is going in the opposite direction of wages. It is now quite clear on which side of that war Sinn Féin and the DUP sit; and it is not with working class communities.”
“We need to build homes,” Ciarán said, “not business empires.”
Belfast: Oppose the far-right. Oppose the Yellow Vests.
On Saturday 5th September, the far right extremist organisation, the Irish Freedom Party [IFP], will be organising an event at Corn Market in Belfast City Centre.
The organisation’s president, Hermann Kelly, a former Press Officer for UKIP has aligned the party with a plethora of far-Right organisations including fascist group, the British National Party.
Lasair Dhearg spokesperson Aindriú Mac Ruaidhrí said, “The Irish Freedom Party believe in racial superiority and white nationalist theories such as the ‘Grand Replacement’ which incites violence against ethnic minorities. The organisation is attempting to use the broad front ‘Yellow Vest’ movement as a means to gain a foothold across Ireland, and to create a foundation of hate, mistrust and division amongst the diverse and multicultural people of our country.”
“The Yellow Vest movement has become a home for those of non-mainstream opinions, lacking logic or factual basis; pushing non-scientific opinions surrounding vaccines, the coronavirus, face-masks and more. It is within this pool of malcontents that the far right IFP and others wish to organise. They must be opposed.”
He continued, “It is for this reason that a non-partisan broad front of anti-fascists, organising under the banner of BAFA (Belfast Anti-Fascist Alliance) are organising a peaceful protest in opposition to their planned event, and to deny them a platform on the day.”
Connor Rafferty, fascist, Irish Freedom Party
“BAFA and other like-minded comrades will gather at 1.30pm on Saturday the 5th of September, in Belfast’s Cornmarket; in anticipation of the Yellow Vest’s 2pm event.”
“The objective will be to deny them a platform to spew their anti-immigrant, anti-mask, anti-vaccine rhetoric. Please consider giving this event your support. Bring some noise.”
Lasair Dhearg today opposed the fascist Irish Freedom Party, as they attempted to organise under a broad front they term ‘Yellow Vests’.
Pól Torbóid
Pól Torbóid, Lasair Dhearg spokesperson said, “Our activists gathered today in Belfast city centre to oppose hate, anti-immigrant rhetoric and the fascist views of the Irish Freedom Party.”
He said, “That organisation is now attempting to get a foothold in the Six Counties, and today their numbers were made up of handfuls of anti-vaccination campaigners and others, bussed in from the Twenty Six Counties, it was also noted that of the small amount of locals in their crowd, one in particular is known for having convictions for sexual offences. Under no circumstances must the IFP or any other hateful bigoted front they create be allowed to organise on Irish streets.”
“Today’s opposition to fascism, saw Lasair Dhearg and activists from across the Socialist Republican spectrum stand with anarchists and others to oppose hate, sectarianism and bigotry; these next few months will be critical if we are to prevent these types of organisations from gaining a growing presence across Ireland.”
Today, scores of heavily clad and armed PSNI personnel faced off against young teenagers and pre-teens over wood in Divis, Belfast.
Since August 1969 the hated RUC has attacked communities in Republican areas of Belfast, Derry, Newry and other towns and villages in the Six Counties. Their political masters in Stormont were supported by the British government but despite that the people rose up.
They have shot people with lead and plastic bullets, colluded with unionist murder gangs and still the people rose up.
As the years went by they continued their attacks on Republicans but the constitutional national parties stayed silent. The RUC conveniently changed their name but they were fooling nobody. The people still rose up.
The constitutional nationalists grew and with that growth they supported the police force even though that very force continued to attack the people.
Today we saw hundreds of peelers descend on an area of Belfast that was under attack in 1969. Of course it’s a completely different situation but that police force is sending clear signals to people that they will swamp our communities and show they are supported by constitutional nationalists, some of whom live in that very area.
Solidarity Action with Direct Provision Hunger Strikers [VIDEO]
Lasair Dhearg activists have carried out a solidarity action in support of the residents of the Skellig Star direct provision Centre in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry, who in recent days commenced a hunger strike, rightfully demanding better conditions.
Lasair Dhearg spokesperson Pól Torbóid said: “It is clear as day that the Direct Provision system in Ireland is deliberately designed to dehumanise and cause suffering. This is done to warn other refugees or asylum seekers not to come to Irish shores.”
“Direct Provision centres are run as prisons for profit. The 26 county state has paid out millions to private companies and staff, in order to enforce a brutal system of restriction, hunger and thirst, upon families that have come here for better lives and opportunities, often fleeing war and persecution.”
“Aramark is a company that operates and fully administers three of the Twenty Six County state-owned direct provision centers, with contracts amounting to millions. That means they run the food, the staff, manage oversight, and all day to day operations. The lower Aramark can drive down these costs, then the higher their profits; the more people they can cram in, the more money.”
Pól said that, “Because of this, businesses like Aramark are directly incentivised to produce grim results for those families having to live in these centers.”
“So Lasair Dhearg’s action at Aramark buildings in Belfast, is as much about highlighting the whole system of profit behind direct provision, across all of Ireland, as much as it is about showing support and solidarity to those suffering within the system itself.”
On this day, 1962, fascist and leader of the British Union of Fascists, Oswald Mosley attempts to march in Manchester.
Although guarded by his fascist Blackshirts and police, Mosley was greeted just as he was 26 years previous at Cable Street – with Anti-Fascists.
Anti-Fascist groups rallied almost 5,000 people in opposition to the BUF march, and after breaking Blackshirt lines, Mosley was knocked to the ground.
Mosley attempted to speak afterwards, but his vile hatred was rejected as he came under attack from stones, coins and tomatoes. Police quickly moved in and escorted Mosley to safety, however street battles continued between Anti-Fascists and the Blackshirts for several hours.
End Direct Provision – Support the Cahersiveen Hungerstrikers!
Lasair Dhearg stands in solidarity with the Asylum seekers of Skellig Star direct provision Centre in Cahersiveen, Co Kerry who have today embarked on hunger strike over living conditions and food rations.
Residents have had their water and food supplies forcibly rationed, possessing no control over their own meals. In one example: residents are being forced to share 4ltrs of milk between 40 people.
Residents stated that despite a Boil Water Notice being in place in the town due to a recent detection of the parasite cryptosporidium, their bottled water supply has been cut. During the Covid-19 lockdown, each resident received 5ltrs of water per day, but this was reduced to 2ltrs a day per resident until five days ago when the supply of bottled water was stopped. Additionally residents who can’t afford to or are unable to buy their own water (asylum seekers are forbidden to work in Ireland) have to drink boiled tap water instead.
The hunger strikers are demanding to be moved out of the direct provision complex, and transferred to accommodation with access to a social worker and “adequate facilities” where they can have a vulnerability assessment and treatment.
“We have been traumatised, and for us to recover from this we need to be all moved out of this accommodation immediately” stated a spokesperson for the hunger strikers.
The Direct Provision system in Ireland has been built with the intent to be insufferable and dehumanising in order to serve as a warning to refugees and asylum seekers around the globe to not come to Ireland. Their institutions are run as prisons for profit, with millions being payed out by the 26-county government to private companies to staff, maintain and enforce this brutal system.
To prove black lives matter in Ireland, we must dismantle Ireland’s current greatest monument to racism: direct provision.
#OTD 1913 a shipment of 1500 Mauser rifles arrived in Howth harbour transported from Hamburg, Germany via ‘the Asgard’ – Erskine Childers private yacht. The rifles were to be used in the Easter Rising.
Upon docking, the Asgard was met by members of Fianna Éireann, led by Countess Markievicz, ready with hand carts and wheelbarrows to unload the cargo. Occurring in broad daylight the event drew the attention of a large crowd of onlookers and eventually British state forces.
Volunteers clashed with police before the arrival of the British Army, however the majority of the guns had been successfully smuggled away from the docks and hidden before the arrival of British troops.
The crowd of onlookers having observed the police and British Army fail to seize the guns, began to heckle and jeer at them. The response of the British soldiers was to fire into the crowd, and bayonet one man to death. Four people were killed – this was to be known as the Bachelors Walk Massacre.
“Move on you Irish Bastard…there are not enough of you dead”.
These were the words uttered to a dying Charles O’Neill as he lay mortally wounded on the Falls Road moments after being impacted by a British Army Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC).
Charles O’Neill.
The British soldier who stood over his body was one of a number of passengers in the convoy of armoured vehicles that is said to have deliberately mowed him down. Another prodded his ribs as he lay on the ground.
O’Neill, a 36 year old catholic and former RAF serviceman, is said to have stepped out onto the road in order to flag the APC down, only for it to speed up and veer in his direction. He was one of a handful of civilians to die during the extensive military operation that became known as ‘the Falls Curfew’.
As hostilities steadily increased on the 3rd day of July 1970, large numbers of British Army personnel piled into Republican held districts on the Falls Road in West Belfast. As they did so, residents began erecting makeshift barricades to keep them out; buses were hijacked, parked across the entrances to streets, and set alight. It did little to stop the nearly 3,000 foreign troops now massing in the area.
As it was becoming increasingly clear that the military exercise was aimed at gathering locally held weapons in the area, efforts were made by volunteers to smuggle out what they could. The increasingly sporadic confrontation saw scores of volunteers engage the British Army in running gun battles that would be downplayed by the occupying forces. However, journalist Simon Winchester would later write, “To anyone who experienced the battle, it was perfectly obvious that hundreds and hundreds of bullets were being fired by both sides…”. As CS gas now filled every nook and cranny of the narrow Belfast streets, along with the lungs of its inhabitants, preparations were being made to further hem the area in.
At 10pm, just hours after confrontations had begun, an indefinite curfew was declared. Thousands of British troops, using barbed wire and supported by armoured vehicles and helicopters flying low over the streets with loudspeakers, started to seal the area off encompassing nearly 3,000 homes.
The scene was set for a major confrontation that would see over 1,000 homes and businesses ripped apart by British soldiers who were ordered to be aggressive and violent. By the time the search was over, the troops had captured about 100 firearms, 100 home-made grenades, 250 pounds of explosives and 21,000 rounds of ammunition. Among the firearms were 52 pistols, 35 rifles, 6 machine guns and 14 shotguns.
In total, 4 civilians were to die at the hands of those same mercenaries:
Charles O’Neill, 36, mowed down on the Falls Road. 3rd of July 1970.
William Burns, 54, shot dead at his own front door. 3rd of July 1970
Patrick Elliman, 62, shot in the head on Marchioness Street. 3rd of July 1970 (succumbed to his wounds one week later).
And Zbigniew Uglik, 23, a Polish amatuer cameraman from England, shot dead at the rear of a house as he fetched his camera. 4th of July 1970.
60 more civilians suffered gunshot wounds, and a total of 337 people were placed under arrest during the curfew, which was to come to an end on the afternoon of Sunday the 5th of July in a massive act of community solidarity.
