ANTI-INTERNMENT MESSAGE ‘MUST BE HEARD’

Posted by Jim on August 8, 2015

Loyalists say they will attempt to block a nationalist civil rights
march through Belfast on Sunday. The UDA’s political wing, the UPRG, has
threatened to “stop republican scum from marching on the streets of
Belfast”.

Thousands are expected to take part in the protest against internment,
organised by the Anti-Internment League (AIL).

In 2013, a loyalist mob went on the rampage on Royal Avenue during a
similar demonstration, and the PSNI forced the march away from the city
centre as a result.

Fears of similar trouble are growing after the UPRG’s north Antrim
branch made an internet appeal to flood the city centre in a bid to stop
the parade.

The AIL parade, billed as a national march against internment by remand,
has been organised to highlight the ongoing detention of nationalist and
republican activists without trial.

The organisation is made up of anti-agreement republicans, human rights
advocates, community workers and trade union members. Sunday’s parade
will coincide with the 44th anniversary of the introduction of
internment in August 1971.

The march is to start at Ardoyne Avenue in north Belfast before
travelling to Belfast city centre where it will move along Royal Avenue
and on to Dunville Park in west Belfast for a rally.

Organisers had wanted to set off from Ardoyne in north Belfast at 2.30pm
but the Parades Commission has said the parade must be concluded by
1.30pm, setting up a dispute which remains unresolved.

Sinn Fein has called for the commission’s determination to be respected.
But in a statement, the AIL said they would not allow their peaceful
protest to be suppressed.

“The attempt by a British Secretary of State-appointed quango to attempt
to restrict our message of opposition, by placing unrealistic time
constraints and limiting public exposure to our message, is futile and
panders to those who wish to support continued injustices by Britain
that are facilitated by the Stormont Executive,” the statement said.

“The days of ‘croppy lie down’ are over, let the State militia of the
PSNI and British Army try to stop us.”

The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association said the Parades
Commission had also tried to force a clash with another republican
event, a parade to mark the Ballymurphy Massacre.

“This can only be viewed as a deliberate attempt to divide republican
opposition to British sponsored atrocities and torture in Ireland both
past and present,” they said.

“The IRPWA call on all our activists, supporters and the broad
Republican family to reject these British tactics by ensuring that
Britain’s continuing torture of Republican Prisoners is highlighted on
9th August.”

DUP North Belfast MLA Nelson McCausland claimed the statement from the
parade organisers was a “clear threat”. But Padraig McCotter, from
republican group Eirigi, accused Mr McCausland of constructing a
“smokescreen”, and pointed out that the parade was due to take place on
a Sunday, when there are very few shoppers in the city centre.

“We’re calling on the general public to give the march their backing and
to add their voice to the growing chorus of discontent at draconian
imprisonment methods,” he said.

Republican prisoners at Maghaberry also issued a statement to welcome
the efforts of all those responsible “for elevating our struggle on to
the main stage of political debate”.

“For those who are yet undecided on attending we appeal to you to join
our struggle,” according to the prisoners on the Roe 4 wing.

“There are few avenues open to Irish Republicans to make a public
expression of our opposition to Internment, whether by remand or through
revocation of licence, forced strip searches, controlled movement and
Isolation of Republican Political Prisoners.

“The British Government know this as well. This of course explains the
increasing effort to hinder this manifestation of resistance. We implore
the Irish Republican people to recognise this and the intent behind it
and conclude that they will not assist the process by staying at home.
No one, not even a British government can thwart such a well organised
and well attended demonstration of resistance.”

* Today [Saturday], 30,000 loyalists are to flood the city of Derry with
150 flute bands for the ‘Relief of Derry’ marches. In sharp contrast to
Sunday’s event, however, there has been no nationalist opposition or
controversy in Derry over the marches, which are held annually by the
Apprentice Boys organisation.