Republican News · Thursday 31 October 2002

Sectarian bullies in Larne

A Chairde,

I am a Catholic teenager from Ballymena, and I am writing to you, as I have been going with my boyfriend for a year next month.

During the summer, my boyfriend was attacked by loyalists when he was walking home from a party in Larne. He was left for dead and he obtained a fractured skull. You put it in your issue at the start of July.

However, my boyfriend has been afraid to leave his house in case of another attack; next time he might not be as lucky! He is from Seacourt in Larne and I think that the innocent Catholics deserve to have a life, as they cannot leave their estate. Your aim is to get a united Ireland. Perhaps you should aim for the freedom of the nationalists in Larne!

Clare,
Larne

Treaty of Nice

A Chairde,

I would like to take this opportunity to thank all those Sinn Féin members and supporters who contributed to our campaign in the recent Treaty of Nice referendum.

While the result was not in our favour, I feel Sinn Féin has come out of this campaign a lot stronger and a lot better organised. Sinn Féin is clearly seen as the political leadership of those who want a European Union built on democracy, accountability and equality.

Despite a spending frenzy by the 'Yes' camp, nearly 40% of those who voted rejected their scaremongering, lies and spins. It will not be long before this government starts to once again roll back from these false promises, it is then that we need to show the political leadership and challenge the cutbacks and redundancies.

We could not compete with the lavish spending by the unholy 'Yes' coalition of Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour, IBEC and the trade union leadership. But what we did do was to bring our politics, our vision of Europe to the people. Wherever we had a structure, Sinn Féin canvassed, leafleted, postered and debated. Because of this we are now identified as the dynamic for progressive political change in this state.

Those who voted 'No' on Saturday the 19th voted for a Ireland of equals in a European Union of equals. Through this campaign we have shown the public that we are the only party with ability and committment to take us there.

Well done to all those involved, you have alot to be proud of. I look forward to working with you all again in the near future.

Daithí Doolan,
Sinn Féin,
Treaty Of Nice Campaign Director

No 2 Nice not racist

A Chairde,

It is highly ironic for Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, to suggest that the strong no vote in parts of Dublin was due to "the immigration issue". Only last week, 20 elected representatives from Sinn Féin, the Greens and anti-Nice independents protested at the refusal of Mr McDowell to grant refugee status to 18 year old Nigerian woman Christina Onasanwo, who faces brutal genital mutilation if she is forced to return to Nigeria.

Mr McDowell's snide remarks are also insulting to the people of areas such as Dublin NW, which recorded the highest No vote in Dublin. I personally canvassed many parts of this constituency and found that the main concerns were lack of democracy in the EU, the government's failure to accept the result of Nice 1 and the disinformation propagated by the FF/PD coalition before the last election.

What is fanning the flames of racism is the abuse by members of IBEC of the employment, for very poor wages and conditions, of Eastern European workers to undermine the conditions of both Irish and immigrant workers.

Seán Marlow
Dublin 11