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After
the 20,000 plus demonstration on Feb 15th a change
of tactics were now needed, this for a variety of
reasons. Firstly though I along with others was aware
that the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) was
and had 'actively’ attempted to mobilise their
rank and file for Feb 15th as well as widely publicising
and building for it. Being in constant contact with
ICTU from the start and being both on the BAWM (Belfast
Anti War Movement steering committee) and the STWC
(Stop The War Coalition steering committee) as well
as regular contact with various trade unions and trade
union organisers, we were well aware of their active
participation. This was one of the reasons that I
and others voiced support for ICTU's involvement as
our agreed and main priority was to build the largest
protest for Feb 15th - which we did.
In
reality what we had done by building a broad coalition
including that of the ICTU was to bring one semi-functioning
anti-war branch in Belfast within a few weeks to over
a dozen community, trade union, and student branches
in and around Belfast; created a large and militant
student organisation to which some long term activists
said ‘that they had not seen since the sixties';
mobilised the largest anti-war march in the North's
History; organised feeder marches from working class
communities including some who's make up had not been
seen in decades; brought Catholic and Protestant and
indeed republican and loyalist community activists
onto the same march and opened up the potential for
a space to voice a different form of politics.
Although we succeeded in that main priority of mass
mobilisation we made some mistakes so tactics did
need to change, with the main mistake being not establishing
accountable structures for the STWC committee from
the onset. The reasons for this being because initially
the main groups within it were ICTU, the Belfast Anti
War Movement (BAWM) and the Derry Anti War Coalition
(DAWC) who worked on a consensus, where we had not
found disagreements in relation to the Feb 15th demonstration.
Secondly with the sheer momentum of it all and the
limited time, discussion of the practicalities of
the Feb 15th ascended above discussions on the practicalities
of committee structures, although raised we never
seemed to have time pre Feb 15th to get around to
discuss it in any great detail due to that momentum.
This meant that the next meeting post-Feb 15th was
left in the hands of ICTU who did not call a meeting
for two weeks.
Apart from that many within the BAWM and its many
affiliates were also aware that the ‘ICTU’
would not be 'up for’ a number of issues including
on this occasion, that of non violent civil disobedience
(although many of its affiliate trade union members
were). While some were seemingly fixated by the fact
that ICTU were not up for this as other anti-war groups
had called for it elsewhere, there were others including
myself who did not see it as a major problem. Why?
Well quite simply civil disobedience does not always
come from above but also below although it would be
beneficial if ICTU had called it but the simple fact
is that after Feb 15th the main practical mobilisations
were done by the BAWM and the DAWC and their affiliates.
Secondly it was the spontaneity of the movement that
took such decisions on the day while the essential
practical organisation was done from the committee.
For example as I will report on later it was school
students who engaged in large acts of non-violent
civil disobedience despite being asked and even attempted
to be physically removed from spontaneous sit down
protests to listen to organised speeches. It was thousands
of people, the movement, who marched past both ICTU's
demands and the police's orders to stay in one particular
place and to march upon police lines, again mass disobedience,
not called up front by anyone but by that spontaneity
of the movement in action. Others and I were aware
that this situation could arise so had no worry if
ICTU called it or not.
In reality in Belfast thousands of trade Unionists,
student, community, peace and anti-war activists and
others have engaged in five days of non violent civil
disobedience some small others large scale - more
than that of many other such movements and organisations
that actually called for it - as we gave the state
no warning and the sheer numbers at times of the movement
in spontaneous action was what some knew may well
happen. Of course one needs to be highly organised
in such a period and to have accountable and democratic
structures giving a strategic lead albeit with tactical
changes as and when it necessitates. It was though
the spontaneous action from the movement from below
rather than a call from above on this occasion that
gave both the element of surprise and provided heightened
consciousness of the strength held in such a movement
through that collective action from below.
So
with achieving what we had set out to achieve, that
of a mass protest on Feb15th, we now needed to look
at our position and reflect on what needed to be done.
Although some again within the BAWM became frustrated
at finding what direction to take given the fact that
ICTU had not called a meeting etc, it was though quite
simple as to how to deal with it. Firstly to establish
firmly the BAWC who were many of the activists on
the ground and who many also, within their independent
organisations were in the STWC committee. This we
did and the organisation and coordination of the student,
community and trade union groups would be dealt with
here as was and is the case along with the organisation
of feeder marchers from around Belfast and also the
planning of many other actions including protests,
fundraisers etc. We were aware also that ICTU might
eventually also take a back seat in the time ahead
and that this committee may well eventually become
the coalition committee which would not be a problem
as firstly we were establishing an accountable committee
made up of various organisations and secondly post-Feb
15th we and our supporters and affiliates would again
be the main mobilising force if they took a less active
approach. Secondly we needed to continue to work with
ICTU within the coalition and attempt to still win
them on various aspects of our position while working
to a consensus of building for international days
of action (If not possible we could do it as BAWM
or to contact the STWC member organisations and agree
to call a meeting of STWC ourselves if ICTU failed
again to do so, while still attempting to win them
to participate). Finally to hold regular activities
and continue to establish and bring other groups aboard
with the fixation as some held not being on ICTU but
in building and deepening our roots within local communities,
trade unions and student groups.
So when ICTU did call a meeting after Feb 15th we
in the SWP had three proposals. Firstly to call a
march in Belfast the Saturday the bombing started,
this ICTU was also raising and was agreed upon. Secondly
on day X (the day after the bombing started) to call
rallies in city centre at lunchtimes, this was also
agreed. Finally to call a ten minute work stoppage
and walkouts when bombing started' - this was not
agreed. So the walkouts would have to be worked on
by the BAWM and its affiliates. The first walkouts
were called by a number of organisations building
school student groups and although around 2 -2500
walked out what was brilliant was the spontaneity
of it, as it actually turned out most of the school
students who walked out on March 5th were not organised
by any organisation. Those who took this type of action
were given the confidence by the tens of thousands
who had marched in Belfast on Feb 15th and by the
tens of millions more who had marched and took action
around the globe. As the build up to the war continued
we in the BAWM started to continue to form trade union
branches and to actively get our branches to support
the Anti War Movement. In the largest branch of the
largest union, that of branch 8 in the civil service
of N Ireland for example in which I am a member (1000
members) and where we (the SWP) have several members
and many supporters, my comrade Ryan McKinney raised
the motion for support. There was a very interesting
debate, with Ryan unpicking the various arguments
at the end and winning almost unanimous support from
the branch for the Anti War Movement and its calls
for action. This situation was being reflected in
many unions by trade union activists within the Anti
War Movement. We also continued to hold various actions
and to firmly establish the BAWM committee in regular
meetings. Then in the early hours of Thursday 20th
March the Imperialist and Illegal war on Iraq began
in earnest. As it happened early morning the SAW and
the BAWM decided to call for action that day at lunchtime
as well as taking part in the STWC action the next
day.
So
lunchtime walkouts and actions were organised as well
as feeder marches from various areas. As I stood at
the front of the City Hall in Belfast on March 20th
SAW (Schools Against War) from East and North Belfast
had already arrived along with a few others. In the
meantime in South Belfast SAW and BAWM activists along
with activists in Lecturers Against War were blockading
the roads outside Queens University. Around 1000 school
students from Methody and other schools as well as
Queens students continued their sit down protests.
They then began to march towards the city centre several
hundred strong lead by the SAW banner. Similarly in
West Belfast SWP teachers and SAW activists had prepared
banners and were mobilising outside St Louise's School
on the Falls Rd with other SAW activists who had organised
in other schools around the West. They then marched
down the Falls to join up with yet other SAW activists
who had organised in St Dominic's Girls Grammar School
lower down the Falls Road. So several hundred strong
they made their way on down the Falls towards the
city centre. Also at the same time more SAW students
from the Ormeau Road were on the march to the city
centre while other BAWM students were occupying the
Belfast Institute of Further and Higher Education
(BIFHE).
So as we stood there we first heard the chants of
'No War', then seen the Students from South Belfast,
several hundred strong, coming towards us led by the
huge SAW banner. Although another student organisation
had also called walkouts for that day and had got
a sound system they would not wait, although asked
to do so on several occasions until SAW and other
students arrived from their feeder marchers, who where
prepared to listen to their speeches if only they
would hold on for those hundreds of other fellow students
still on the march. But on seeing those feeder marches
coming in from SAW they were not prepared to wait
for 'another organisation' (?). So those SAW students
who were already there took to the roads with their
microphones for large scale civil disobedience to
wait for their colleagues. This situation at its height
seen the bizarre sight of the ‘leader’ of
a Northern Socialist Party in a frenzied state trying
to physically lift 'their school students' of the
road (who were engaged in a peaceful sit down protest
with hundreds of others from SAW) to go over to a
corner to listen to speeches. (Unfortunately this
type of political sectarianism was shown by the same
person towards myself and also towards a young organiser
comrade from SAW the next day.) Nevertheless the behaviour
had little impact on the day as while 30 or 40 eventually
were herded and then huddled into a corner, of the
road to listening to speeches (before coming again
onto the road to join their school student colleagues)
around 1200 students were engaged in large scale sit
down protests.
So while a roving mike went around the students who
had by this time blocked off all three intersections
at the Belfast City Hall, dozens of them spoke about
the war and why they had walked out of school. Then
a cheer went up, SAW from West Belfast had arrived,
then another cheer went up a short time later as SAW
from the Ormeau Road had arrived. After chants and
school student speeches a call went up 'to the US
consul.' And with that a twelve year old school student
took the mike and she lead a march several hundred
strong, Catholic and Protestant school students with
some Catholic and Protestant trade union representatives
through Belfast city centre upon The US consul. On
arrival the school students were met with scores on
semi-clad RUC riot cops, dogs, barriers, mobile surveillance
units and a dozen police trucks and else more. Some
of the school students first attempted to get over
then to remove the barriers at the US consul - with
that the first batons were drawn toward school students.
Although no skulls were cracked the RUC were keeping
the cracking of school student's skulls for another
day not far of. SAW and BAWM had made their point
so after another sit down protest I suggested that
we should link arms and march out past the cops who
were now calling in reinforcements. So after marching
out as one and making sure everyone came through,
the protest was then asked to disperse at Castle Street.
Although most dispersed others went on to partake
in other forms of direct action around the city of
Belfast. As I looked back at the consul from Castle
Street I remembered our first march upon the consul
a few years back against now former US President Bill
Clinton's visit to Belfast, which resulted in the
first ever occupation of the US consul in Belfast.
Little did I know though as I looked away from the
consul that in a matter of weeks that we would again
be 'greeting' yet another US President coming to our
small city. This time he wanted to come to host his
war summit - a war we were already taking to the streets
to oppose.
The
next day March 22nd was the day called by ICTU for
the 'silent vigils.' The turnout was smaller than
the BAM and SAW actions the day prior with several
hundred in attendance. Yet again even on this day
the local trade union branch banners had come from
SWP trade union activists who had marched to the City
Hall with their branch banners, similar was the case
with many of the school, community and political banners
in attendance who were activists within the BAWM.
After the minutes silence the SAW again went onto
the roads and again the intersections were blocked
off. The semi-clad riot cops arrived quickly and ordered
the students off the roads but the students stood
firm, then eventually made up their own minds to call
an end to their protest once they had made their point.
The next day was to be the third day in the row we
were to mobilise, again this time like Feb 15th it
was for an international day of action. Once again
activists in West Belfast started to organise a feeder
march, which like the main march had really only two
days to build and organise for it. Yet it was inspiring
to see hundreds of school students walk out of their
schools and march down the Falls road on the Thursday
20th, then to see several hundred more community and
trade union activists two days later on the 22nd,
again on the march, many of which had joined the thousand
strong feeder march down the Falls Road on Feb 15th.
So
again we were 'on the road' via the Falls to Belfast
city centre against the Imperialist war - a war of
occupation and not liberation as wanted to be portrayed
by the warmongers. Similarly my comrades who had organised
the march on the 20th from South Belfast again organised
also a feeder march from South Belfast to the city
centre as well on this day. The turnout for the main
rally was 4-5000 as stated by elements of the mainstream
media. Yet when I looked at the march, the BAWM, the
feeder marches, SAW and with other affiliates we may
have made up around half of the march, with the trade
Union banners again coming from the active BAWM members.
This was reflected at the next STWC meeting where
ICTU personally commented and thanked the 'strong
mobilisation' from the West Belfast Anti War group
and its again organised feeder march, which can be
reflected, I believe, in the BAWM and its activists
as a whole. It was also interesting to see the increasing
levels of security and police mobile surveillances.
Maybe this could be reflected in the leaders of Unionism
calling on the Anti War movement to call of our protests
as they were wrong and 'unpatriotic.' So a peace movement
which had brought Catholic and Protestants together
on an international concern was now being used by
the leaders of Unionism for an internal sectarian
issue. So apart from increased activity and surveillance
by the state and also one may add aspects of loyalism
towards us I also noticed the Unionist media also
picking up on it. With one article in particular putting
'enemies (of the state?) and anti war and peace activists'
in the same sentence - attempting to draw parallels?
Yet this type of propaganda was and is to be expected
as they have had many years experience of it.
So over the next week or two we within the BAWM continued
our regular meetings and activities which included
protests at the US consul or direct action such as
activists chaining themselves together for a blockade
of the Shell garage in Belfast city centre etc. Then
on Friday 4th of April I got a phone call, 'Davy,
George Bush is coming to Belfast'.
'Your winding me up' was my reply.'
'I'm serious check Teletext'. And I did, and he was
coming here in three days. I thought briefly of the
rank hypocrisy of it all - this warmonger coming here
to jump on the Irish Peace process bandwagon and to
lecture us on peace while talking war. It was also
ironic after thirty years of recent war and that peace
process, he should choose this place to now host a
war summit with Tony Blair the British Prime minister.
Yet maybe he also thought because of the recent history
of our country he would be met by little protest.
So straight away we began to organise and the difference
between the ICTU led STWC and the activist based BAWM,
the DAWC and the Irish Anti War Movement could be
seen within hours. Within that couple of hours six
buses had been booked from Dublin and filling, with
others coming from around the south. Buses and carpools
had been organised in Belfast, buses from Derry, activists
were also coming from Scotland and others from elsewhere.
We within the BAWM had arranged a press conference
in a hotel for the next day as well as an activists
meeting. The meeting next day was attended by ICTU
and many of the main activist groups. We agreed that
the press conference we had organised should be done
under the broader banner of STWC and also that everyone
should go out and organise for ' the event'. The event
being that George Bush was coming to Hillsborough
at six o'clock on Monday 6th April so people agreed
to go to the protest we had organised at Hillsborough
and also on the next day Tuesday 7th April to have
a 'die in' at the front of the Belfast City Hall.
So with that we went on full steam for the next forty-eight
hours phoning and contacting our supporters and anti-war
affiliates. By Monday the Irish Anti War movement
had filled up to eight large buses from the South
and had arrived at Hillsborough with many others coming
by alternative transport. The Derry Anti War Coalition
had filled buses from Derry. While buses had also
been filled in Belfast, both leaving Queens University
and Belfast City Hall from the BAWM. We also had many
activists from the BAWM making their own way there
through car pools and we also had to turn away over
one hundred people looking to get on the Belfast buses
but fortunately we were able to suggest or provide
alternative transport for the short journey. At 6pm
at Hillsborough over 3500 people had assembled and
we prepared to march. So as I and my comrade Richard
Boyd Barrett from the Irish Anti War movement got
people assembled I was asked by ICTU if I would like
to lead with the STWC banner which they had got professionally
made, to which I agreed. So I began getting together
a variety of activists from a number of organisations
including contributors to The Blanket to head the
front of the march with me. With that we then headed
off with the huge banner taking up the entire road,
myself holding onto the banner with one hand and a
mike in the other. So we marched forward ever closer
to the castle that held the warmongers.
The march, loud, lively and colourful, looked impressive
as we marched up towards Hillsborough Castle. We were
to stop half way up to listen to various speakers
including that of the SDLP, Sinn Fein and Women's
Coalition which had caused a bit of controversy due
to the fact that they were going in the next day to
meet the warmongers. I had got a phone call a few
days prior, as well as being told by various members
of some of those parties that they along with others
had requested to speak at the demo. Although some
were worried by this as they seen these people as
‘hypocrites’ or trying to jump on the ‘bandwagon’
I and other leading activists had no major problems
with this. Why? Firstly, rank and file members of
these groups had actively participated in the movement
at various stages and to a certain extent as well
as also senior members of the SDLP and Women’s
Coalition having attended on one occasion a STWC meeting.
Secondly, if senior figures of these organisations
wanted to go on the platform to attempt to explain
their contradictions and hypocrisy (which many believed
it was) they would have to explain it publicly in
front of the world's press and to their rank and file
activists who would be there. While they knew also
that they may also have to face the come back from
others on the platform including Eamon McCann, Bernadette
McAliskey, Richard Boyd Barrett and Aine Fox. I also
suggested that others who had been active in the Coalition
including other student and political groups who had
not yet had the opportunity to speak at any of the
prior Anti War rallies should also get a platform,
as should one or two others, with which others agreed.
When
we got to the place in which ICTU and the police had
told us to stop the sheer momentum of the movement
drove the overwhelming majority of people to march
past the stopping point and to march upon Hillsborough
Castle. So as the short sleeved 'community police'
watched over the few that stopped at that point the
overwhelming majority of us marched on to be faced
by rows of RUC/PSNI riot cops blocking the road, and
with more of them also in their full riot gear including
their balaclavas hiding their faces in the surrounding
fields with dogs. The march stopped with activists
standing eye balling the cops face to face while in
the distance across the field I could see scores upon
scores of more riot cops hiding in preparation while
behind this there was to be a huge security barrier
manned by many more. We sat down on the road with
the cops itching to get into us while a pro-war person
stood on a lamppost and heckled us (some believed
he was an agent provocateur) so to give the cops an
excuse to move in. Yet as helicopters flew above and
the CIA watched us from the cover of nearby bushes
we had made our point and marched back, some to listen
to the speeches while many others started blocking
the main roads and carriageways into Belfast. Those
whose political parties were going into meet the warmongers,
who had come especially to Belfast for a war summit,
were heckled as they spoke with Sinn Fein almost drowned
out by the calls of 'shame', 'hypocrites' etc. But
it was Bernadette McAliskey and Eamon McCann who people
spoke of afterwards on the way they took those to
task who where going into meet that President and
Blair during the 'Summit for slaughter'. On our way
back some loyalists started to gather armed with sticks
and iron bars probably still getting succour from
David Trimble (Ulster Unionist leader and ‘in
limbo' first minister) and his specially called press
conference a few days earlier to attack our Anti War
Movement.
The next day was to be a 'die in' (everyone to lie
down as if dead - a symbolic gesture) at the front
of Belfast City Hall, to which a couple of a hundred
of people turned up. After the ICTU led 'die in' other
activists went on to the roads to hold a brief peaceful
sit-down protest. Within moments police dressed in
full riot gear arrived. Then the peace activists were
baton charged out side Belfast City Hall. Yet the
peace activists held their ground both against the
calls of ICTU to remove themselves from the road and
the beatings the RUC/PSNI forces were dishing out.
Young women were trailed along the road by the hair,
school students were beaten with batons and shields,
as the riot police continued their attacks and arrests
on peace activists. But still the young peace activists
would not move. Shoppers in Belfast city centre started
to crowd around with some shouting 'shame' at the
riot cops as another school student in his school
uniform was attacked. Yet the peace activists continued
to stand firm and would not move and then to cheers
of those on the peaceful sit down about one hour later
the riot cops eventually backed off, maybe the cracking
of school students' skulls beaming live across the
world did (as US president was still here as was the
world's press) not sit well with their supposed 'reformed
and community image'. So ten minutes later after the
cops had backed off, the peace activists removed themselves
from the roads and marched round to Belfast city centre
police station to show solidarity for their arrested
colleagues. I am unsure when the last time that such
a peace protest was baton charged outside Belfast's
City Hall in the city centre but the images of school
students and peace activists being beaten and dragged
(at times by the hair) from the streets does not sit
well with that 'community policing' we are told about.
And for some more peace activists they have come to
a firmer understanding about the whole role of the
police and the state.
With that the BAWM were again to march through Belfast
city centre on Saturday to the US consul, then round
to the City Hall. With our march several hundred strong
we marched towards the US consul in Belfast city centre
(they are soon to move the consul to a more 'secure'
unit outside the city centre) where we were met with
a large mobilisation of semi-clad riot cops. With
dozens of cop jeeps hidden in and around the side
streets of Belfast city centre and lines of the baton
itching cops watching on we stewarded well our protest.
We were met by also dogs and provocation by some of
the cops who were attempted to 'wind us up' with words
and comments quietly voiced to leading activists.
We remained at the US consul for a while then marched
to the Belfast City Hall. There as we stood on the
roads outside the City Hall where a few days earlier
many peace activists were baton charged, both cops
and cop jeeps in large numbers had fenced us in from
the city centre street. We however negotiated with
them that if they removed the jeeps (which were blocking
off all view to the city centre so people would not
be able to see what was happening as they had seen
a few days prior) that we would move (ever so slightly)
forward towards the City Hall. So with that, with
activists still on the roads outside City Hall we
then listened to the final speaker Eamon McCann.
I
have learnt as have others many lessons in the last
few weeks in building a mass movement and coalition
(This time against war) and moving to action an anti-war
movement. Over the next period we prepare for our
local May Day march. We also all need to widen and
deepen the connections with those we all worked with
as many upcoming issues from water charges to PFI
will need again such a 'united front' both seen in
the communities and within the trade unions and maybe
also through elections to use 'that platform' to raise
such issues of common concern to a wider audience.
I have also learnt how irrelevant those who engage
in political sectarianism become and how their rants
are only then listened to in their wee clusters when
people see that activists like ourselves are not only
talking the talk but leading the walk while working,
engaging, organising, debating and mobilising with
many others in a open, respectful and fraternal way.
At
the same time we need also to organise to participate
in the next international mobilisation. That is to
be held in Evian which is on the French, Swiss boarder
where the G8 are (hiding) holding their next meeting.
We as in all previous international mobilisations
shall come from Belfast and around Ireland to join
with scores of thousands of others. I remember the
last International protest that I went to in Genoa,
where we said as a people that our world is not for
sale - they did not listen - so let our voices continually
raise louder. So to all those anti-war and anti-capitalist
activists around Europe and further afield who are
going to Evian/Geneva we hope to see you there as
together we can continue collectively to discuss,
protest and to take this people's movement forward.
Think
globally - act locally
Part
1 - Building an Anti War Movement is on The Blanket
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