Posted by Jim on April 14, 2018
Elephants filled Queen’s University’s Whitla Hall this week where a
major media event was organised to mark the 20th anniversary of the
1998 Good Friday Agreement.
Starring in the show were former premiers Bill Clinton, Tony Blair and
Bertie Ahern, while former Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and Ulster
Unionist leader David Trimble topped the bill of local politicians.
The most heartfelt praise was for former US Senator George Mitchell,
whose political skill and negotiating prowess was universally praised.
Earlier in the afternoon, Senator George Mitchell received a standing
ovation after his speech.
He told the audience: “Many of you have thanked me for my work here, my
response is that it is I who should be grateful. And I am, for you have
filled an inner void that I didn’t even know existed.
“I am an American and very proud of it but a large part of my heart and
my emotions will forever be with the people of Northern Ireland.”
Among those whose absence was felt were former SDLP leader John Hume,
who is struggling with dementia, Sinn Fein’s Martin McGuinness, who
passed away last year, and former British Direct Ruler Mo Mowlam, who
died in 2005. Nevertheless, there was a mood of celebration at an event
which literally sung the praises of a peace deal credited with
effectively ending the recent conflict in the north of Ireland.
The afternoon’s panel discussions were a Hollywood-ready mix of
anecdote and nostalgia, and a selected audience of around 500 were
appreciative of the dealmakers who brought an end to a fearsome
conflict in which thousands of lives were lost.
The agreement brought demilitarisation by the British Army, the
disbandment of the Provisional IRA and the release of hundreds of
republican and loyalist prisoners.
But twenty years later, unresolved and unimplemented aspects of the
1998 Agreement continue to haunt the north of Ireland, including some
of those who participated in the negotiations.
Former SDLP Deputy Leader Seamus Mallon brought a chill to proceedings
when he said he was angry by the “hypocrisies” of current politics in
the north. A key nationalist architect of the deal, he accused the DUP
and Sinn Fein of creating “political silos”, debasing the process and
“almost Balkanising” the north of Ireland.
The former Newry and Armagh MP said he would become “sad” and “angry”
when at home watching television news.
“I watch the hypocrisies which are unbelievable and the untruths which
are believable,” he said.
In the days before the gathering, comments by former UUP leader David
Trimble also cast a pall over events when he mentioned two
unmentionables in a single breath — Brexit, which is weighing
massively on what remains intact of the deal, as well as the continuing
violence of loyalist paramilitaries groups who signed up to it. The
Noble Peace Prize Winner delivered a sharply off-message intervention
when he warned of loyalist attacks against the south of Ireland if
Dublin continues to oppose the return of a militarised border.
Probably the biggest elephant in the room lurked behind former DUP
leader Peter Robinson, who in 1998 was roaring in protest at the gates
of Stormont as the deal was being hammered out.
Most unionists now support his party who continue to reject the
agreement, and Robinson ws proud of the fact.
“The specifics of the Belfast Agreement itself, clearly I oppose – I
think I was right in opposing it; I think the unionist community
validated that by their subsequent votes in the electoral process,” he
said.
The event was criticised by a range of politicians who stayed away,
including a number of senior DUP figures.
DUP MLA Edwin Poots said praise for the Good Friday Agreement “as the
deliverer of peace” had done a “grave injustice to the men and women
who put their life on the line infiltrated the IRA”.
Another DUP figure, Christopher Stalford, described the event in
colourful terms as a “glutinous, nauseous, back slapping exercise” that
“never made me more glad that I was with the ‘No’ campaign in 98.”
An even more hardline unionist, TUV leader Jim Allister, stood on the
steps of the Whitla Hall and handed out leaflets to the guests as they
went in. The two-page leaflet listed ‘deceptions’ in the Agreement
which Mr Allister labelled a “failure”.
The collapse of power-sharing a year ago, in part due to the DUP’s
refusal to implement outstanding agreements was something which the
celebrants felt obliged to address, and the former premiers did so in
hopeful tones.
Bill Clinton urged the politicians present to “inspire the world”
again. The former US President, who was awarded the Freedom of Belfast
on Tuesday night alongside Senator Mitchell, spoke directly to
political leaders who sat in the second row.
In his signature folksy style, he told the audience: “I’m sitting here
and my view is [current DUP leader] Arlene [Foster] and [Sinn Fein
leader] Mary Lou [McDonald] sitting in the same row. We just gotta
figure out how to get them to sit next to each other.”
He described the Good Friday Agreement as a “work of genius that is
applicable if you care at all about preserving democracy”.
He added: “Because the rest of the world continues to do foolish things.
You do smart things. Save the peace, save the freedom, save the
democracy, inspire the world.”
Tony Blair said the important thing was that the conflict had ended.
“The important thing is not to compare where we are with where we would
ideally want to be because ideally we would want to be in a better place
than where we are,” he said.
“The comparison is with where we are and where we were. The important
thing is to remember when we used to wake up every day to the news of
death, destruction and and terrorism.”
Optimism was the byword and Sinn Fein’s Gerry Adams predicted his party
and the DUP would eventually go back into government.
“We’re in a bit of an ebb at the moment, a bit of stagnation,” said Mr
Adams. “That’s temporary. That will pass. And we’ll be back to sorting
these issues out.”
Describing the 1998 agreement as a “highly significant development in
Anglo-Irish history”, Mr Adams added that the accord could still act as
a “template for the times ahead” in fresh political negotiations aimed
at restoring power-sharing.
The event also saw criticism by some republicans. The President of
Republican Sinn Fein Des Dalton said the legacy of the Good Friday
Agreement was “a dysfunctional and undemocratic sectarian statelet”.
RSF campaigned against the 1998 Agreement, and Mr Dalton claimed his
arguments that it institutionalised sectarianism had been borne out.
“The two dominant political blocs, the Provisionals and the DUP are two
sides of the same sectarian coin,” he said. “Corruption and nepotism
is the currency of this outpost of colonialism.
“Since 1921 there have been five Anglo-Irish agreements all of which
have failed to provide a settlement of the conflict in Ireland. The
reason that all of these have failed is because all are based on the
partionist set-up, imposed upon the Irish people in 1920/21 by the
British Government with the threat of “immediate and terrible war”.
“The root cause of the conflict in Ireland is partition and the
continued British military and political occupation. A New Ireland can
never emerge from the Stormont Agreement because it copper fastens the
partition of the historic Irish nation.”
Raymond McCord, whose son Raymond Jnr was beaten to death by the UVF in
North Belfast in 1997 and his body left in a quarry, also criticised the
celebrations.
“These events have practically excluded victims from Northern Ireland,
I am not talking about victims from the unionist community, this is all
victims,” he said. “Twenty years after the Good Friday Agreement
victims have been betrayed by politicians.”
He is seeking an inquest into his son’s death, adding: “Why should we be
doing this 20 years after the Good Friday Agreement?”
He also criticised the inflated reporting of this week’s loyalist claim
that their paramilitaries would now support the rule of law.
“The whole week has been a disgrace for victims, it has just been a
repeat of what has happened over the years. They are all telling us what
to do and what is best for us.”
The main victims’ issues had been ignored by the official events, he
said. “Why don’t they sit down with ordinary working-class people like
myself? What is the government and organisers frightened of? Why are
they frightened of victims sitting on a panel? They don’t want the truth
to be said, they are frightened.”
Posted by Jim on
The nationalist SDLP has been condemned after it threatened to
discipline its councillors in Newry who failed to support moves to
rename a park in the town named for local hunger strike hero Raymond
McCreesh.
Raymond McCreesh died on hunger strike against the policy of
criminalising republicans in 1981. On Monday, a motion calling for
Newry, Mourne and Down council to remove McCreesh’s name from the park,
failed.
Unionists had put the motion forward, but an amendment by Sinn Fein
councillors was accepted instead. It argued that the council should
continue with a review into play facilities in the district, as agreed
at a meeting in December.
Unionists stormed out of the council chamber after the vote, furious
that the SDLP had not backed their motion to remove Raymond McCreesh
from the park’s name.
Independent unionist councillor Henry Reilly bellowed as he led
unionists out: “This is a republican council for republicans.” The Sinn
Fein-SDLP amendment passed by 24 votes to 10, with three abstentions.
Senior SDLP figure Claire Hanna has hit out at her colleagues. Hanna
said: “Particularly in week reflecting on the [Good Friday] Agreement
and celebrating the values in it, saddened by the vote in Newry. This
wasn’t a time for whataboutery and rushing to repeat mistakes of the
past. It was and is wrong to name a kids playground for anyone linked to
Kingsmill.”
His family have always denied, and no proof has ever emerged, to back
unionist claims that he is linked to the 1976 Kingsmill ambush, in which
ten Protestant workmen were killed.
Saoradh’s National Spokesperson Dee Fennell condemned suggestions that
the SDLP councillors involved would be disciplined by the party, but
said he was not surprise.
“Activists in the area are well accustomed to the Castle Catholic
attitude of this party, with the anniversary of local IRA Volunteer
Colum Marks this week immediately bringing to mind Eddie McGrady of the
SDLP saying that his shoot-to-kill murder was “a job well done”.
“With this revelation the SDLP, while claiming to be a non-sectarian
party that has inherited the civil rights movement’s ethos, has again
showed itself up to be the pro-establishment party it really is. While
their leadership refuses to wear Easter Lilies, they wear poppies.
“While they refuse to attend Republican commemorations, they attend
those organised by the Royal British Legion. While supporting the
censorship of Republicans, they encourage British Army recruitment in
schools.
“While saying armed groups should be consigned to the past, they have
supported both the RUC and PSNI for decades – the largest armed group of
all.
“Now their duplicity has extended to the naming of public places. While
the SDLP leadership failed to back one of it’s own councillors who
opposed the naming of a leisure centre in Newtownards after SAS
mercenary Blair Mayne, they have now decided to embark on a
criminalisation agenda against the H-Block Martyr and IRA Volunteer
Raymond McCreesh.
“Why are the SDLP leadership not campaigning for the renaming of a
multitude of landmarks across the Six Counties that are named after
imperial and colonial figures?”
Mr Fennell said the people of Newry were overwhelmingly in support of
the name.
“They recognise the reality that Raymond McCreesh was a hero. A
revolutionary. A blanketman. An IRA Volunteer. A man who gave up his
life for his friends, opposing criminalisation by giving up his life –
and now the SDLP seek to felon set him in death.
“The SDLP is dying. Losing support rapidly, even in their traditional
heartlands where they were bolstered by the anti-Republican rants of
prominent clergy. Their elected membership is abandoning them. Their
party is rudderless, counting down the days to either amalgamation with
a Free State establishment party against the wishes of many senior
members, or simply shutting up shop. Their search for relevance sees
them take contrary positions based on location rather than ideological
consistency.
“In a few short years, if not sooner, the SDLP will be a thing of the
past while the legacy of Raymond McCreesh will live on through those of
us who share his revolutionary ethos.”
Posted by Jim on
Saoradh has vowed to resist the criminalisation of republicans
following a heavy-handed police arrest operation at offices shared by
the small political party on Monday.
A number of Saoradh members were arrested at the press conference at
Junior McDaid House on Chamberlain Street in the Bogside, which they
had called to condemn PSNI operations against them, including previous
arrests at the office.
To date, ten Saoradh members have been arrested and charged in
connection with the Easter Commemoration parade in Derry, which
featured a colour party in traditional military-style dress, with
masks.
Trouble broke out during parade on April 2, and petrol bombs were
hurled at police vehicles.
In his statement, spokesperson Joe Barr noted that Saoradh did not
organise the commemoration. He said that the men arrested at Junior
McDaid House on April 4 had been “charged with no evidence presented”
and now “face restrictive and draconian conditions placed on them by
the Crown Forces.
He said there had been a “provocative” approach taken by the PSNI ahead
of and during the march in Creggan. He also said that, even though the
previous year’s event had been officially notified, well marshalled and
had passed off without any incident, the Crown Forces “chose to arrest
17 Republicans for attending what was a peaceful Easter Commemoration”.
Mr Barr said questions needed to be asked about the actions of the PSNI
on the days leading up to the march and on the day itself. He noted
that a local parish priest in Creggan had been warned by the PSNI ahead
of the event that ‘if the parade wasn’t properly notified that the
Crown Forces would prevent the parade and arrest those taking part’.
Mr Barr said that this “provocative” warning coupled with a PSNI attack
two days earlier at the Republican Sinn Fein Easter commemoration in
Lurgan which also resulted in arrests “only heightened tensions on the
day in Creggan”.
He said: “The fact remains that the Crown Forces chose to ignore
neutral reasonable voices which suggested they implement a sensitive
and logical approach on the day, instead adopting a heavy and
aggressive presence which increased heightened tensions.”
However, the PSNI were clearly not listening, and Saoradh’s press
conference was only identified as an arrest opportunity. Prominent
anti-Stormont republican Thomas Ashe Mellon and another activist were
seized leaving the building and were subsequently dragged before a
court, accused of breaching previous draconian bail conditions barring
them from the office.
“Once the press conference was finished, British stormtroopers swamped
the surrounding area harassing Republicans and eventually lifting two
of those who took part in the press conference and another well
respected Republican,” Saoradh said.
They added: “Being a Republican is not a crime. Remembering Ireland’s
patriot dead is not a crime. Irish Republicans will not be
criminalised. The time is now, stand and be counted!”
In court, the PSNI described the Easter commemoration as an “unlawful
parade” and said that Junior McDaid House was “a republican base for
republican activists.”
Both men refused to recognise the court and remained seated when the
charge was read to them.
However, District Judge Barney McElholm said bail conditions had to be
“just and appropriate”, and said courts had to be aware of certain
rights like freedom of speech and assembly. He re-released Mr Mellon on
bail with his bail conditions reduced, to applause from supporters.
Posted by Jim on
The headquarters of the Irish Republican Socialist Party were raided by
the PSNI police on Friday in the latest show of strength by the Crown
forces against republicans in Belfast and Derry.
Journalists and camera crews had been tipped off in advance to be on the
scene in west Belfast for the operation since early morning, as PSNI
began raiding homes and provoking members of the IRSP. A large-scale
military operation subsequently descended on the IRSP offices in full
view of the cameras, and one voluntary office worker was arrested.
Smear allegations of criminal activity against the Irish Republican
Socialist Movement were released by the PSNI to television networks and
were angrily rejected.
Accusations of prostitution and “human trafficking” were directed by the
PSNI against a Romanian man who they claim had links to the IRSM.
In a statement, the IRSP said the allegations had been concocted by
British Military Intelligence (MI5) and “designed to discredit the party
as part of recent moves to implement fresh start aims to wipe
alternative republican thinking from the political stage”.
“By mid afternoon it had become clear that a full-scale attempt to
criminalise and demonise the Irish Republican Socialist Movement was
under way,” they said.
“The Irish Republican Socialist Movement is happy to confirm that they
know nothing of this individual, nor is the movement involved in any way
shape or form, with prostitution, human trafficking or extortion.
“Tonight, the IRSP headquarters remains occupied by hostile British
troops under the guise of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, our
members have been unlawfully prevented from observing the search take
place and our solicitors have written to the office of the Chief
Constable demanding an explanation for this unlawful action. Other
members of the IRSP are in Police custody and we expect more raids to
follow.”
The party linked the raids to its recent efforts to prevent an eviction
of a single mother in the Lower Falls area.
“The Republican Socialist Movement are confident of the reasons for
today’s psychological attacks,” they said.
“The stated aim of the Fresh Start Agreement was to wipe from the stage
of Irish politics all traces of alternative republican thinking. MI5
know that the IRSP has re-organised into a vibrant and confident party
in recent years and are determined to smash that momentum.
“The IRSP state clearly that in this aim, MI5 and their stooges in the
PSNI will fail. Tonight the attacks on our party are ongoing. We will
release a full statement in due course.”
Posted by Jim on April 13, 2018
RADIO FREE EIREANN will broadcast this Saturday APRIL 14th on WBAI Radio 99.5FM or WBAI.ORG at 12 noon-1pm New York time or 5pm-6pm in Ireland, or anytime after the program on WBAI.ORG – Archives
Twenty years after the Good Friday agreement, architects including, George Mitchell,former President Clinton and Tony Blair gathered in Belfast for a week long series of celebratory events. ANTHONY McINTYRE,author of GOOD FRIDAY-The Death of Irish Republicanism will look back on his predictions at the time and give analysis of what the agreement and ceremonies mean today.
GEORGE McLAUGHLIN,will recount the amazing story of American organized Catalpa escape and rescue of Irish Fenian prisoners from Australia in 1876 back to safety in the United States,and the successful campaign to put headstones on the graves of two of these rescued Fenians , THOMAS DARRAGH and ROBERT CRANSTON,which will be unveiled on May 5th in Philadelphia.
We will have another update information on the April 24th event in ALBANY, which will now include formal resolutions in the New York State Senate and Assembly honoring the centennial of Ireland’s 1918 Vote for Freedom which gave a democratic mandate to the Easter Rising and Proclamation as well as announcements about other Easter Commemorations.
John McDonagh and Martin Galvin co-host.