DIY Demilitarisation - Just Do It
Sinn Féin Youth confront British post on Camlough Mountain
Only one week after the British government finished the expansion
and reinforcement of the Army base at Faughill Mountain South
Armagh, more than 100 young republicans took matters into their
own hands and showed the British army just how easy it is to
demilitarise. The protest, held on Sunday 24 August and organised
by Sinn Fein Youth, was the first in a series of militant
mobilisations by young people across the Six Counties, all of
which will be calling on Tony Blair's government to match their
`constitutional' rhetoric with deeds and dismantle the British
war machine in Ireland.
The mountain top protest, which took place at Camlough Mountain
in South Armagh, brought young republicans from Belfast, Down and
Armagh together for a day of political activity and good craic.
Before the march, the young people enjoyed the good weather, and
played football at a barbecue organised by the local Camlough
Sinn Féin Youth.
At 3.30 the march took off, passing through Camlough village and
meandering up the mountain road. One hundred youths, complete
with tricolours and `Demilitarise Now' t-shirts brought a clear
message to the British army in occupation. As one local youth put
it, ``this is our mountain and the soldiers and their barracks are
not welcome''.
On reaching the perimeter of the barracks, the demonstrators
attached tricolours and four-foot letters to the barbed wire,
which read, `Demilitarise Now, Sinn Féin Youth'. Booby-trapped
flares were set off as young children threw stones across the
fence at the trip wires. As the British heliccopters hovered
close by they were greeted with shouts, whistles and a sea of
green, white and orange.
As the crowd began to descend from the mountain, a group of
protesters armed with petrol, set fire to a large section of two
pipes which supply water and electricity to the army base. As the
flames grew, the crowd cheered, watching the army's vital
supplies being cut. One young girl wryly remarked `if they want
water and electricity then let them go back to their own
country'.
Afterwards the protesters returned to Camlough village, for a
rest and celebratory drink for a job well done, before returning
home.
Speaking before the protest, Sinn Féin Youth organiser Deirdre
Feehan told An Phoblacht that ``young people, more than anyone
else, have a right to protest against the militarisation of our
environment. We were born into this conflict, and all our lives
have known nothing but violence. Now with the IRA cessation we
have a new opportunity where demilitarisation can become a
reality. But that means that all weapons, all military personnel,
and all army installations must go''.
Sinn Fein Youth Belfast organiser Eoin O'Broin said that ``today's
mobilisation is the start of a campaign against the British war
machine in Ireland. British soldiers, helicopters, spy towers and
barracks are part of a system designed to make all our lives more
difficult. So in response we are going to make the job of the
British military as difficult as possible, in whatever way we
can. Our protests will be non-violent but equally they will be
militant. The message we are sending out today is a simple one.
If the British government aren't willing to demilitarise our
environment, then we will do it ourselves.''
Speaking to young republicans throughout the Six Counties O'Broin
said, ``you don't have to wait for a protest or action to be
organised in your own areas, just get up and organise yourselves.
The message is simple, DIY demilitarisation, Just Do It.''
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