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I
would like to reflect on my experiences and of lessons
learnt while playing a part in the building of an
anti-war movement in Belfast. The movement developed
from a small but effective (although initially disorganised)
instrument engaged in relevant propaganda and small
scale mobilisations to a mass coalition which drove
some of the main TV and media outlets to state that
we had witnessed, 'the largest anti war demonstration
of its kind in Northern Ireland's history.' Others
simply called it 'historic', with many saying it was
at the least the best protest Belfast had seen in
decades, The vital role the Socialist Workers Party
(SWP in the North) played in this was acknowledged
by many individuals (including on The Blanket website
- see A. McIntyres 'the Rally' and A. Fox 'A unity
of purpose against the war') and by many other writers,
journalists, organisations and parties as well as
the Deputy Secretary of the Irish Congress of Trade
unions (ICTU) who took the unprecedented step of thanking
both my comrade Colm Bryce and the SWP publicly and
personally from the platform at the demonstration
for our all work within the coalition.
Looking
back at the last anti-war campaign against the war
in Afghanistan in 2001 a lot of lessons had been learnt.
Although that situation differed somewhat to this
recent drive to war, there are many similar arguments
being put, but organisationally those who initiated
this coalition had learnt lessons from the previous
campaign and set out to both win the argument and
to build this movement in a completely different way.
We knew also that we had to break down barriers from
many that such mobilisations were just a pipe dream
in the North so we knew that if we delivered, then
a huge step would have been taken forward.
The
experiences of the last campaign made those who were
then for the first time setting out to attempt to
build a mass anti-war movement come now to a firmer
understanding both of the need to create and how to
create such a movement within the political sphere
of Northern Irish politics. The understanding was
fivefold. Firstly to move out from 'the usual suspects'
and to attempt to connect with the many thousands
of others who were opposed to such a war. In doing
so, those who wish to participate in 'political sectarianism
(finger pointing and ridiculing of other parties rather
than building the movement) or who wanted only a 'talking
shop for abstract propaganda with 'fellow lefties'
would find it increasingly difficult and backward
because of the nature of their politics, in the development
of such a mass coalition. Secondly to actively build
and widen the movement with others who could agree
on a number of fundamental aims and objectives. The
coalition would include reformists and it would include
revolutionaries (a situation that could be used on
various issues where collectively would lend more
practical and political weight on common issues for
common good) - with a consensus agreed on the issue
to each of our political limits so in effect building
a broad 'United Front', in this case in opposition
to such war albeit against the backdrop of 'N. Irish
politics', but in the context of internationalism.
Thirdly, while in such a broad coalition to raise
the arguments as socialists as to the nature of war
under capitalism and how we believe we as a working
class can win real and fundamental change. These arguments
done from fully working, engaging, organising and
taking a leading role fully within the movement. Similarly
as we had done just prior (and again learning lessons)
with the Fire-fighters support groups which led to
the Falls and Shankill road march (See 'When the Falls
and Shankill marched as one', The Blanket, as well
as various other reports of the 'West Belfast fire-fighters
support group' in the build up to the march) which
because of the nature of the march was termed again
as 'historic'. Fourthly to attempt to relate wider
forces to internationalism rather than political internalism
while at the same time relating and placing local
social and economic ills in an wider political context.
This could be expressed more so given the recent development
of the Social Forums and of the anti-capitalist movement
which has thrown itself into the building of the anti-war
movement. Finally to take the lead and actively establish
local community, student, and workplace groups with
others to form activists bases in various cross community
sections of Northern society. Again to prove in practice
that such issues can build and mobilise peoples in
such sections of our community therefore raising and
sustaining awareness and activism in key sections
of society against the war.
We
knew also as we had started to see those similar features
creeping in as we had seen previously that we quickly
had to move the anti-war movement away from the initial
quite disorganised situation with the usual faces
to a more organised and broader situation. We firmly
believed for that to succeed that the SWP had to be
at the centre of it, the rock from which to create
a ripple effect to those thousands of anti-war peoples
in wider society. Apart from this as we progressed,
we in the SWP in the North raised other ongoing questions
and understandings of how to relate to and actively
involve different 'traditions' and organisations while
attempting to mobilise not hundreds but thousands
and indeed those tens of thousands of people against
the war, as was being done in other cities. To do
this we had to work initially against some who held
such mindset as 'sure its different here in Belfast'
or 'sure people will not come out as they are not
interested etc.' So the SWP in Belfast initiated along
with other individual activists and our supporters
within the trade unions and communities the Belfast
anti-war movement with similar being done through
the Derry coalition. As written in a previous article
on The Blanket, we initially mobilised 200+ people
from a variety of groups from Catholic and Protestant
areas to march through Belfast streets before Xmas.
Again as in previous campaigns most of the organisational
work, meetings, press releases, postering, leafleting
etc. was done by the SWP and other individual trade
union and community activists. We knew that to make
Feb 15th big that we had to go after other groups
who we felt would support the movement and to get
their sponsorship for the demo.
Initially
we approached all those groups and campaigns we were
working with and who we had lent support to as well
as others both within our local communities and trade
unions. Once we had done this we knew we were going
to have a demo at least several hundred strong but
to have a real impact we agreed it needed to be thousands
strong and that Belfast should not, could not, and
would not be any different from those 600+ other cities
who were to march in the largest co-ordinated global
demonstrations in history. To do that we needed an
organisation which had networks to tens of thousands
of working class and their trade unions - that of
ICTU. So with the strong base already built amongst
layers of trade unionists and other activists who
supported us, and an impressive list of scores of
other organisations, trade unions, community, women
and minority group sponsorship from a cross sections
of society for our Feb 15th march, a meeting was then
set up with the ICTU Northern Committee and eventually
they agreed to lead it with ourselves heavily involved.
We were also aware once ICTU backed it and by engaging
with the mainstream media and raising the issues through
local actions and high profile speakers that eventually
such would be its momentum that other larger forces
such as the churches and other political parties would
wish then to show some, or more active participation.
So we believed that in doing so we could move those
of singular interests and such organisations to both
lend support and for some to see the benefit (both
practically and politically) of such a united stance
on a particular political but common cause for common
good.
As
our priority was to mobilise as many people as possible
comrades agreed that it was far better if the movement
was lead by ICTU but with ourselves deeply involved
within it (although we did and do have concerns).
We were also confident that our work on the ground
and our political understanding could win people over
in the debates on organisation and the aims and objectives
that followed, and by and large although differences,
we won a consensus on these issues with the many other
organisations we engaged with. It has to be said our
members here although many young and those involved
in politics only a few years have both conviction
in their actions as Anthony McIntyre stated (The Blanket
article 'The Rally') which saw SWP members from this
city lay down in front of on coming Israeli tanks
to let Palestinian women and children escape from
possible slaughter', with many other such solidarity
actions also not widely reported. We also hold a strong
confidence in our politics and are very active on
the ground. That combination for those who know us
has won us some respect from many differing circles
and quarters. With that confidence we also have no
problem engaging in debate both to raise points and
to have an understanding of others as I believe you
cannot really hope to attempt to break down mindsets
unless you really understand why one holds those mindsets.
Although
we had done all the ground work by the bringing together
of scores of groups and by building and advertising
widely the Anti-War Movement demo for Feb 15th we
believed three things were important in building that
base against war even more, as dependant on the active
memberships of the relative organisations or campaigns
we knew it would effect the strength of any mobilisation
call. Firstly we had moved the stage on from a number
of trade union branches, and a few trade unions along
with quite a few active rank and file trade unionists
lending participatory support to now that of the Northern
Trade union leadership 'active' role in the mobilisation
of their rank and file. Secondly the role of the youth
and students we felt was important especially when
one has an understanding of their role in other antiwar
movements of such a scale. We therefore decided to
help initiate an independent youth organisation in
Belfast that organised its own actions, meetings,
and publicity with it not having ideological conformity
as a prerequisite for joining as like other youth
groups, but as an broad based student activist coalition
against war. So then Schools Students Against War
(SSAW) was established. The group held its first meeting
a few weeks ago which had over fifty school student
representatives from at least fifteen schools around
Belfast which was due to the initial hard work of
my young comrade Dan Buckley and also John Price along
with others who helped get it off the ground. They
organised their own protests such as that recently
shown on television and within the printed press of
their actions outside Belfast's US consul while the
BBC did a short TV slot on their activists and activities.
They also held a recent inter school debate with leading
pro war assembly politicians against members of the
Belfast anti-war movement which had over three hundred
school students in attendance and have now helped
organise school strike action for March 5th (although
the majority of walkouts will be initiated by SSAW
in Belfast, again the working together for a common
cause for common good again was our priority). Such
was and is their activity and again their publicity
they were one of the five speakers on Feb 15th Belfast
demo, so agreed by the coalition in their capacity
representing all of the students of the North of Ireland.
Again with such growing support amongst School Students
Against the War combined with many other sponsors,
the Student Union leaderships of Ireland were then
approached for support and have since sponsored and
then called for students to mobilise on mass in support
of the coalition. The final point was to actively
build local anti-war branches in our local areas through
meetings and activity (to date hundreds have attended
our local meetings around the city), with myself as
per previous on The Blanket being involved in the
West Belfast anti-war branch (There are various reports
on The Blanket of West Belfast anti-war branch activity
in the build up to the march) which had amongst its
local supporters trade unionists, socialists, republicans,
community activists, independents and locally established
campaign solidarity groups and others at its first
meeting of fifty activists held on the Falls Road.
We organised together a feeder march down the Falls
Road with up to one thousand people to the main parade
in the city centre on Feb 15TH. The march had members
of the Socialist Workers Party, Irish Republican Socialist
Party, Sinn Fein, and the Workers Party amongst other
such Republican and Socialists groups. Again it was
raised that it had been many a year that seen such
a gathering of differing parties marching down the
Falls Road in one march. We were also joined by many
various trade unionists, community workers and organisations,
campaign groups, families and many other individuals
and independents. We initially held a rally at the
start at the bottom of the Whiterock chaired by my
comrade Brian Kelly, a contributor to The Blanket
and a member of the SWP who played, as with many others,
a vital role in the organising of the feeder march.
The speakers were Michael Ferguson Sinn Fein, Feilim
O hAdhmaill, Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign
(IPSC) and myself representing the Belfast Socialist
Workers Party (SWP) so with that we then took to the
Falls Road for the feeder march. The march, loud lively
and colourful was applauded and cheered firstly by
residents on the Falls Road then also numerous hooting
of horns. Passing by on our march a huge banner also
hung from the roof of the Falls Road women's centre
reading 'Don't attack Iraq, join the feeder march
from the Falls Road', as we continued our way to the
now massing people at the main assembly point.
Other
local community anti-war groups have also been established
around Belfast again holding successful meetings and
engaged in activity. We have also set up work-based
branches in Belfast with around one hundred lecturers
signed up who are holding a 'teach in' in Queens University
with also teacher, civil servant and other work based
groups set up in Belfast Other feeder marches were
also organised by other activists in the anti-war
movement and coalition. With one in particular having
its own historical significance - that of the four
day march from Derry to Belfast which retraced the
civil rights march over thirty years prior but going
the other way. Some of those who helped organise and
who were on the original march also helped organise
and marched on this one including Eamon McCann. I
joined the first day of the march from Derry to Dungiven
on the Wednesday taking time out from the Belfast
organising. I was kept entertained by the wit and
humour of my comrade Ryan McKinney along the way as
I watched as McCann took to the fore in inspiring
others through out the first eighteen or so mile trek,
with Colm Bryce giving an excellent meeting that evening
on the whys of our journey and the why nots for war.
So
the Derry march, the Falls Road feeder march, the
main Belfast march and rally have made it like many
before that a day that I will remember such as, our
day of anti capitalist action in Belfast city centre,
Genoa, the Falls and Shankill march, and much more.
As we marched up Royal Avenue in Belfast city centre
some shops and bars were closed with some signs on
their window stating solidarity with the marches while
others read that they were closed to let their staff
attend the march and rally. As we continued through
the city centre I first heard, then seen, my comrade
Colm Bryce leading the chants at the front of the
Derry march who unbelievably had arrived after their
four day march at the same time as the West Belfast
feeder march. As they sat down on the road at one
intersection I brought the West Belfast march to a
stand at another intersection. We now chanted as one
- both the Derry and the West Belfast feeder marchers,
while across the road thousands of others cheered
and applauded us. Then my comrade Barbara Muldoon
- who was standing up on a wall amongst those masses
keeping them informed with her loudhailer - pointed
out to the people in one hand and the mike in the
other, joined in with the chants in unison with us
and so followed thousands of others who had amassed
at the Art College. Now thousands called out 'Free
Palestine, Free Palestine, Freeeeee Palestine' as
flags waved and voices echoed as one all around Belfast
as they had done similarly around Genoa - it was both
an unbelievable sight and sound not witnessed in such
a form and scale in Belfast city. Again a throw back
to memories past as I seen Barbara on the wall leading
the chants at the Art College and Colm similarly so
on the Derry feeder march. I remembered Barbara linked
to one of my arms and Andrew King linked to the other
as we continued to march forward at the front of the
march through the Gas, the water cannons, the baton
charges and the attacks by the right wing paramilitaries
in Genoa on the day they murdered Carlo Guilianni.
Similarly I remember marching with them on the Saturday
as well as with Colm, Ryan, Tom, Dan and many others
who were in Genoa and who also now played a vital
role in building this march. It was the Saturday's
atmosphere in Belfast which for a second threw me
back to the Saturdays atmosphere in Genoa - we were
in Belfast but like Genoa it was a day of international
unity. It seemed that for that one day that we had
brought for a short period the spirit of Genoa back
with us to the streets of Belfast.
As
we eventually got the thousands of people under way
through the city centre we were able to see just how
big the march really was. On the march I caught a
glimpse of Tom Prier and Gordon Hewitt chanting and
happy after the work they had put in like many others
for this brilliant day and also Mark Hewitt leading
the sit downs and chants with hundreds of protesters.
As we mobilised at the City Hall the marchers were
still coming out from the original starting point
at Art College. As we stood there for what seemed
like ages we were told that there were still thousands
more still waiting to get to the rally at City Hall.
Eventually the speakers spoke: they were Peter Bunting
of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) who as
I stated took the unprecedented step of thanking the
SWP for all our work in bringing the rally together.
Then came Jamal Iweida (President of the Belfast Islamic
centre) and Mairead Maguire (Nobel peace Prize winner).
To huge rapturous applause and cheers came the speech
that all the media picked up on as Eamonn McCann stood
at the front of the city hall and as Ian Paisley had
done eighteen years prior boomed our 'Ulster says
no' (to war). I knew as the flags waved and the masses
cheered that that event and those words in that context
would and are now etched firmly on my mind. Finally
before the musicians came on School Students Against
the War (SSAW) that cross community school group we
helped initiate spoke as representatives for all students
around the North which was a testament of all the
work they had put in to raise this amongst students
around the North.
It
was truly an amazing day which as Socialists we had
worked for to bring about and once again valuable
lessons have been learnt through our initial work
in building for the rally. Now that such a rally has
taken place more groups and organisations should get
involved. The ruling classes are still preparing to
rain down slaughter on an already impoverished people.
We need to now argue for and organise mass non-violent
direct action, for strike action, occupations, for
mass resistance at home and internationally. We need
to continue to move the movement forward against this
war while in tandem arguing and discussing how to
bring an end to it. Socialists need to be at the fore
of the movement arguing for, initiating, being active
in, and taking the lead in local, community, workplace
and student groups while from the very start being
up front about one's politics, therefore in doing
so always raising as to how we believe as socialists
that we can bring an end to such war. It is this combination
as the movement grows where both our practical activity
and ideological understanding can be forwarded from
that central position - 'within' and as an 'intregal
and leading part' of the movement. Thus providing
the potential of first relating to and then winning
larger layers to that understanding of how to end
such wars and the system that breeds them.
Within
such a 'united front' of a common aim there will always
be that 'tug-of-war' between the reformists and the
revolutionaries as to the direction of the movement.
This is only natural due to our different ideological
understandings which can at times cause misuderstandings,
animosities or even setbacks with searching for common
aims for common good. It is therefore vital that socialists
not only continue to raise our political points from
that revolutionary understanding within the heart
of movement but as vitally we need to continue to
organise practically within our party as revolutionary
socialists.
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