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On
the 14th December a demonstration took place in West
Belfast, a demonstration that raised both eyebrows
and comments from various quarters. From parts of
our local media we had 'an historic march' while others
drew a symbolic significance of seventy years past
of the outdoor relief marches. This was a march which
seen people from the Shankill Rd march up Lannark
way to meet people of the Falls - Springfield road,
a road in recent years that has seen confrontation
between orange marchers and the local residents. On
this day though it seen unity in a common cause of
economic concern in support of the firefighters and
of our fire service, with many of those marching stating
it was an absolutely brilliant initiative.
The march itself consisted of about one hundred and
fifty persons. It was led by a banner which stretched
across the road stating 'Falls and Shankill in support
of our fire service.' I would like to thank my more
artistic young comrades in the Belfast Socialist Workers
Party (SWP) for doing the banner, as those community
and trade union activists who carried it with me gave
it nothing but praise as did firefighters who suggested
I should keep it safe in case for further use.
Behind
this banner, the N. Ireland Fire Brigades Union (FBU)
banner was carried with up to twenty five local firefighters
in full uniform walking behind it. This was then followed
by other trade union banners such as that of Unison
and that of the Northern Ireland Public Service Alliance
banner (NIPSA), the largest union in N.Ireland, with
other political and community banners joining also
in support. The make up of the marchers drew many
rank and file trade unionists as well as leading members
of the Belfast Trades Council and the Irish Congress
Of Trades Unions (ICTU). They were joined by Catholic
and Protestant, loyalist and republican community
activists, socialists, and local residents with their
children amongst others all lending support. The speakers
were from the ICTU and FBU and also a young woman
who being inspired by the reasoning of the march asked
if she could say a few words at the end. The march
was the first organised by the West Belfast Firefighter
Support Group and supported by the Belfast Trades
Council and the Fire Brigades Union. I found in the
build up to the march a lot of people in 'both communities'
having a lot of support for it. Doing interviews together,
attempting to build support for the march through
different media outlets myself and Alex, a Shankill
Rd community worker found massive vocal support for
the Firefighters' cause. Such issues of concern can
and do find a resonance and support across the 'divide'
and with the possibility of a similiar march in North
Belfast being raised, again another 'flashpoint' and
interface area, persons involved in the support groups
are looking for cross community support for the firefighters
and our fire service. Yet it is not only on bread
and butter issues but on other issues I have found
'cross community' support. For example as per my
previous article on The Blanket I wrote
of the two hundred plus march last week through central
Belfast against US imperialism's initiated coming
war on Iraq. The march called by the Belfast Anti-War
Movement brought again amongst others Catholics and
Protestants. Fortunately as a leading organiser also
for this march I knew and could see key community
activists from East Belfast's Protestant estates marching
with key community activists from West Belfast's Falls
Rd behind their Trade Union banners such as that of
the Unison banner in support of the Belfast Anti-War
Movement.
Of course after thirty or so years of this recent
conflict we see still a lot of bitterness or disillusionment
or tiredness and of 'sure nothing will change'. Yet
as in the very first article I wrote for The Blanket,
written this time last year, and one of the first
article I had ever written entitled 'New
Governance And The Working Class' (archive section),
I will therefore end this article with the same understanding
as I ended that one.
That is - may it be in initial small steps, patiently
but determinedly, building unity and in doing so creating
strength, locally and internationally, we then have
it within ourselves to attempt to effect real change.
Some wish it to, some want it to, but ultimately despite
whatever - may it be through small victories or indeed
against defeats we always have to keep working, keep
building, keep moving forward, to attempt to make
it happen.
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