Republican News · Thursday 26 February 1998

SF Youth expands

By Eoin O'Broin

Sinn Fein Youth has marked the first two months of the year with a series of activities which see the republican youth movement go from strength to strength.

On 13 to 15 February, 30 youth activists from across Ireland came together in the Glencree Centre in Wicklow for a weekend of discussion and debate. The themes of the weekend were `Challenging Prejudice' and `Engaging with the Protestant, unionist and loyalist communities'.

A series of speakers from ethnic minority, refugee and disability campaign groups addressed the conference on the Saturday. Throughout the talks, workshops and discussion groups questions of exclusion, discrimination and equality were discussed. Delegates pointed out the many similarities between their experience and that of the guests.

On Sunday a number of Ulster Unionist Party members and Protestant clergymen addressed the delegates. A wide debate dealt with the RUC, the Stormont talks, Orange marches and loyalist violence. Issues of cultural identity and religion were also discussed. Delegates felt that the debate, a new experience for many, was both constructive and informative.

Speaking for Sinn Fein Youth, Belfast based activist Niall O'Murchu said that the aim of the weekend was ``to open up dialogue with people we don't usually get to speak to. It is important for us to expand our equality agenda to include other marginalised groups such as travellers, ethnic minorities and people with disabilities, and the event went some way to opening up these questions.''

On the question of meeting with unionists and Protestants O'Murchu said, `this kind of debate is not new within Sinn Fein but as far as our young people go it was quite novel. It's important that we understand where they are coming from and likewise its important that we get the opportunity to challenge them directly. I think it was a learning experience for all''.

Meanwhile Sinn Fein Youth has continued with its campaign of street protest. This week, on Tuesday 24 February, up to 100 people gathered at the Springfield Road RUC barracks in West Belfast to call for the disbandment of the RUC. Speaking after the rally, Aidan Ferguson said, `We will continue to protest against RUC harassment until the force is disbanded'

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Meanwhile, in a series of separate incidents throughout the last two weeks, young nationalists across Belfast attacked RUC and British army jeeps with paint bombs. The most recent attack being on the Springfield Road RUC Barracks only hours after the Sinn Fein Youth protest. In separate incidents RUC barracks in Andersonstown, the New Lodge, Old Park and the British Army Base off the Antrim Road were all petrol bombed.

Sinn Fein Youth spokesperson Eoin O'Broin said that, ``this was obviously a sign of the growing frustration among young nationalists at the state of the talks process and the ongoing campaign of harassment by the RUC.''

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