Republican News · Thursday 31 January 2002

Republicans will not be defeated

BY LAURA FRIEL

This week, despite the current uncertainty, republican activists focused on their election campaign work and this weekend republicans will be travelling to Belfast to commemorate the 1981 Hunger Strike, acknowledging the legacy of the past while working for a shared vision of the future

On the eve of his execution, American radical and trade unionist Joe Hill famously told his comrades, "don't mourn, organise", and although we are far from witnessing the demise of the Good Friday Agreement, the message from the republican leadership this week appeared to echo something of the same sentiment.

Election uncertainty, the continuing failure of the British and Irish governments to publish their joint document, and in the face of continuing unionist intransigence, the apparent precarious future of the Stormont Assembly, were being met by determined calls for mobilisation and organisation.

Republicans throughout the Six Counties were being urged to do what they do best, the dogged, determined and focused grass roots political work that has also been an important arena of struggle for republicans.

This week, despite the current uncertainty, republican activists focused on their election campaign work and this weekend republicans throughout the island of Ireland will be travelling to Belfast to commemorate the 1981 Hunger Strike, acknowledging the legacy of the past while working for a shared vision of the future.

Taking time out of a busy schedule, Sinn Féin National Chairperson Mitchel McLaughlin spoke to An Phoblacht about why republicans place so much importance on attending the national Hunger Strike commemoration in Belfast.

"Sinn Féin is mobilising people, at a national level, to remember why they died and to reflect how far republicans have come in resolving conflict and in transforming the political landscape here in Ireland," said McLaughlin.

"Twenty-two years ago, the British government refused to accept the five demands of republican prisoners. They refused to acknowledge the profound political nature of the conflict in Ireland or indeed their responsibility for creating and maintaining that conflict. In 1981, ten people died on hunger strike.

"They forced the British government to acknowledge the political nature of the conflict. They forced the British government to recognise the legitimate political aspirations of republicans. The courage, vision and determination of republicans today, as it was 22 years ago, has been the driving force for change on this island.

"We're currently at a very important moment in terms of the history of republicanism and remembering the Hunger Strike puts a clear focus on the progress that has been made. There are many important strands in current republican thinking and tactics which sprang directly from the Hunger Strike period.

"The electoral intervention of Bobby Sands and subsequent elections of hunger strikers and their supporters showed Republicans that there was a whole new arena of struggle that could be explored. Out of that developed an electoral strategy.

"The way in which those early community based structures that emerged during the Hunger Strike came together provided the basis for a mass movement, a movement that actually reflected a broad spectrum of political opinion and was the first example of an emerging nationalist consensus. The nationalist consensus has become a key strand in the current peace process.

"The Hunger Strike period showed republicans the advantages of engaging in broad front politics. During this period a wide range of people, from all kinds of political backgrounds, were not only prepared to engage in a process with republicans but to accept republican leadership. This also marked an important milestone.

"This week, republicans are approaching the 22nd commemoration of the Hunger Strike against the backdrop of speculation and uncertainty about the forthcoming elections. To date, the British government has changed the electoral rules eleven times in successive attempts to prevent Sinn Féin's electoral advances.

"But despite all their best efforts, it hasn't stopped Sinn Féin's electoral surge forward. The British government is afraid of this election's outcome. They are so afraid that they are now threatening to abandon the election altogether. In a week in which people in England, Scotland and Wales are going to the polls, we in the north of Ireland are witnessing the true attachment of the British government to the democratic process," said McLaughlin.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams at an election rally on the Falls Road described the forthcoming election campaign as "the most important" election to date. Despite the current uncertainty, he said, party workers should assume the election scheduled for 29 May will go ahead. "Nothing should daunt us. Nothing should prevent us from moving forward," said Adams.

"Thirty years is a long time, it's a long time in anyone's life but it isn't a long time in struggle, it isn't a long time in history. Consider Sinn Féin in this city 30 years ago; in 1964 Sinn Féin was a banned organisation, today we're the largest party and Alex Maskey is coming to the end of his term of office as mayor, a groundbreaking successful term as the first republican mayor in the history of this city.

"Most republicans and nationalists are really cheesed off with David Trimble. They tell me that they can't put up with David Trimble. And I ask myself, put up with David Trimble? It's me who is putting up with David Trimble and the rest of our team. And if we can put up with him, it is reasonable to expect other republicans to do so as well.

"And this is important, because unionists have nowhere to go unless we make them welcome on this island. They'll twist and turn, they'll be bombastic and arrogant and use offensive language, but that's understandable. It's understandable because change, the type of change we want and the change envisaged by the GFA, threatens the very rationale of unionism.

"We should be understanding, not acquiescent, because we are Irish republicans. We want a Republic, a new Republic, a national Republic on this island, but the most important part of this word is "public", which means people. That's what a Republic is about. It's about people, people in charge, people in power, people being uplifted, people being sovereign and that includes unionists," said Adams.

"As for the British, they are currently upholding the Union. What else should we expect? What colonial power ever voluntarily gave up possession of its conquests? It has never happened in the history of humanity. Even a benign government will resist, even if there are people within that government who know in their heart of hearts that they should not be on this island.

"And we should not be surprised by the British system of securocrats, MI5 and their network of spies. Their war is not over. They may present the IRA as the target but in truth their war is about defeating people like you, it's about defeating people. But over many, many years, there is one thing I have learnt about republican activists. And that is this, they cannot be defeated, they will not be defeated," said Adams.