Unionists `playing games' - Adams
Gerry Adams got a standing ovation at Derry's Guildhall on Monday
night after challenging both Unionists and nationalists. Stating
bluntly that what we have now is not peace, but the opportunity
for peace, he said, ``Change is required. It is about creating
justice and until we actually bring about this change, until we
ring-fence it and anchor it, then we can't say that we have
peace. To achieve this, nationalists must make this phase of the
struggle their own.''
Adams asserted that while David Trimble's Unionists were at the
talks at Stormont, they were only `playing games', and that the
difference between his Unionists and Paisley's was a purely
tactical one. He reminded his audience that even though their
parents and grannies struggled for civil rights 30 years ago, it
was their heavy responsibility to complete the same struggle at
the crucial phase.
Adams claimed that ``elements of society are against change. Let
us be in no doubt that resistance to change is not confined only
to leaders of Unionism. Other sections of society too profit from
the status quo, and want to thwart even the most minimal change.''
Unionists have not gone beyond saying that they will agree to
some kind of devolved assembly elected on the basis of
proportional representation. What is required from the Unionists
is open discussion.''We want to be generous, to be flexible, to be
open to the Unionists of this statelet. We know that they are
going to be here on this island with us forever and we want to be
open in building a new island, building a society on this island
which reflects the rich diversity of all our people.''
He warned, ``It is crucial that we, who have been at the receiving
end of so much injustice and repression, realise where unionists
are coming from as they face up to these challenges. Unionism at
that political level believes that every move forward for justice
is to the advantage of nationalists and the disadvantage of
unionists.''
Adams directly challenged Trimble: ``From my contact and in my
party's contact with ordinary Unionists and in being involved in
strategic outreach with Unionists for many, many years now, I
believe that if David Trimble gave positive leadership to his
section of our people, he would meet with a positive response.''
Adams also had a message for the two governments. ``Those who wish
to govern us, whether they be in Dublin or in London, must be the
engine for this change. The Unionist position is one of refusing
to engage, of trying to use a veto to minimise, to impede, to
reduce or spin out the changes which are possible. Tony Blair
must say to Unionists that the old game is over. Only the British
government can say this. The Unionist leaders know that and
that's the challenge facing Blair and the rest of the British
government.''
Adams stressed throughout the need for the people to take
ownership of this phase of the struggle, and not leave it to
negotiators in a room in Stormont. ``Individually, we can make a
wee bit of history. Collectively, people living in Derry on the
cusp of the millennium, people throughout this island, can make
history on a grand scale. Part of making that history is making
friends with the Unionists. They lack a vision of the future,
[they have] only a vision of the past, in old clichés. Our vision
must be of the future of peace and prosperity, of an island where
everyone has a stake.''
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