Free Citizen: no. 50, 18 September 1970

tM

FREE

CITIZEN

REGISTERED AS A NEWSPAPER AT THE POSTOFFICE

NEWSPAPER OF THE

PEOPLES DEMOCRACY

/a 10c PRICE overseas

WEEKLY FRI.

iere.t«‘(z|

100 SUMMONSES

FOR PEOPLES DEMOCRACY

FROM OUR 'CRIME' CORRESPONDENT.

DURING THE PAST TWO WEEKS POLICE HAVE

SERVED -

t OR TRIED TO SERVE -

ONSES ON MEMBERS OF THE P.D.

OVER 100 SUM-

MEMBERS HAVE

BEEN ROUSED FROM THEIR BEDS IN THE MIDDLE

OF THE NIGHT TO "RECEIVE" SUMMONSES,

OR

HAVE BEEN POUNCED UPON IN THE STREET BY

PLAIN CLOTHES MEN.

ARE SERIOUS

SENTENCES

MANY OF THE CHARGES

- SOME WOULD CARRY MANDATORY

- WHILE OTHERS ARE TRIVIAL AND

INDICATE CLEARLY THAT THE AUTHORITIES HAVE

DECIDED TO CARRY OUT A POLICY OF VICTIMIS-

ATION AGAINST PEOPLES DEMOCRACY, AND HAVE

HOKED OUT EVERY CONCEIVABLE CHARGE THAT

CAN BE MADE AGAINST P.D.

The Government's policy now is to ignore the 'moderates' and at the same time to oppress what it recognises as the most troublesome agitators. Speaking in Sheffield last week, Chichester Clarke had nothing but praise for the moderate opposition who, he said, were now satisfied at the progress towards "necessary reforms. He reserved his attack for the ''Revolutionaries and the left wing" who were not satisfied. There is no doubt about which group P.D. fall into. We have no reason to be satisfied with promised ‘reforms’. Even the simpliest demand 'One man, one vote' for local council elections seems to be in doubt as can be seen from our article Democracy denied in Shankill inside. Unlike the 'moderate' ers who become satisfied with the system once they got themselves into Parliament, P.D. refuses to be bribed into silence. Neither will we be intimidated.

TOOME

Some of the summonses brought in the last two weeks relate to incidents that happened over four months ago. Charges of 'Unlawfully Taking Possession’ of the Toome Eel Co's. ‘*fices are in connection with a sit-in protest that took place last May. So far, there have been no summonses against the lead:

MEMBERS.

Toome Eel Company who have unlawfully taken possession of Lough Neagh. Other summonses reflect a sudden thin-skinnedness on the part of the R.U.C., not quite so noticable when they attacked a P.D. meeting in Ardglass last June. Several P.D.

members are under jail sentence for taking part in the meeting called in support of the cement workers strike. At the time many people were shocked at the blatantly partisan behaviour of R.M. Walmsley and the unmitigated perjury of the police witnesses. Pickets were placed outside the court declaring the pro-scab behaviour of the police. Now, a dozen members of Armagh P.D. who dared to say in public what they thought of police perjury and the system which premits it, are being summoned for contempt or court. Other charges include obstuction of the farcical U.D.R. in the course of its duty (defendents are alleged to have sung "Who do you think you are fooling Mr. Hitler" at a road block), and drinking on a Sunday (who doesn't?). Some of the charges could be used to send people to jail for a considerable time; others - though apparently trivial - will cost a lot in legal expenses alone, never mind days' pay lost and the inevitable fines to be paid. They are undoubtedly intended to strain the resources of our organisation. But like Craig's R.U.C. batons on October 5th - they will only have the opposite effect. Oppression only makes us more determinded.

Offences such as sitting in Toome Eel Company's offices pale into insignificance when compared with the crimes of the armed agents of the state - such.as the murder.of John Gallagher in Armagh last year. To rally support from other groups who recognise the need for solidarity in the face of oppression, P.D. is convening a special conference, to be held in Armagh on Sunday October 4th. The subject will be "The Fight Against Oppression". It is only by uniting against. oppression that.we can hope to fight it. Pickets

PICKETS AGAINST THE INTER-

NATIONAL GANSTERS WHO ROB

LOUGH NEAGH OF ITS EELS AND

POCKET THE PROFITS WILL BE

HELD AT THREE OF THE BAN-

DITS' HIDEOUTS THIS SATURDAY:

LONDON at Billingsgate Fishmarket. At the offices of the London merchants who own the Toome Eel Co. Picket by a group of supporters organised by International Socialists. GALWAY at Corrib Fisheries Offices. Corrib Fisheries are owned by Barber who is also managing director of Toome Eel Co.

TOOME at Toome Eel Co. Office.

The headquaters of the whole criminal racket. The Toome picket.will be held from 11.00am until 1.00pm.

SPECIAL

SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY ISSUE

FREE CITIZEN - IRELAND'S

ONLY LEFTWING WEEKLY -

WILL BE ONE YEAR OLD ON

OCTOBER 2ND. WE ARE CELE-

BRATING OUR FIRST YEAR OF

PUBLICATION BY BRINGING OUT

A SPECIAL 6-PAGE ISSUE WHICH

WILL HAVE SPECIAL ARTICLES

ON FREE CITIZEN AND PEOPLES

DEMOCRACY. THE PRICE FOR

‘KHAT-WBEK-ONLY, WILL BE 6D.

Pn an cenrh i cetio |

The cause of socialism in Latin America received a major boost two weeks ago with the victory of Salvador Allende in the Chilean Presidential election. Dr. Allende, a Marxist, was supported by a left-wing coalition including the Chilean Communist party, radical Catholics and other groups much further to the left. He got 1,750,616 votes to 1,360,278 for the extreme right-wing candidate while the Christian Democrat came third. This means that his election must go for ratification to the Chilean Congress but it has always been customary for the Congress to ratify the candidate with the largest number of votes. Chile is the nearest thing to a Parliamentary democracy in Latin.

America and it is also'one of the wealthier countries there where poverty, though chronic, is not as extreme as the rest of the subcontinent. For the last six years it had a Christian Democrat President, Frei, who at least put ona show of reforming policies. If the Chilean voters have supported Allende it indicates what would happen elsewhere in Latin America if free elections were held.

This of course is the main reason for the host of U.S. -backed military dictorships. Allende, a friend of Castro's, is pledged to nationalise Chile's U.S.run copper mines, break-up the FREE CITIZEN 18th SEPTEMBER 1970

~ REPORT FROM LATIN AMERICA

Chile goes left SOUTH \Sy AMERICA huge estates, expropriate Chile's super-rich aristocracy, and endthe U.S. -imposed boycott of Cuba by all Latin American countries. His programme is not wildly revolutior ary, but if it is implemented it will be a major step forward for Chile and the rest of Latin America. The question is, will it be implemented? The Congress has still to ratify Allende. Will they accept the democratic verdict of the election, or will they prove to bea businessman's club using democracy only when it suits them. Then there is the army and police to be reckoned with. Already they have been used to shoot down strikers.

Will they accept the verdict of the election? And finally there is the United States. Chile's mines are U.S.-owned, and her copper is exported to the U.S. Will the Yanqui's. allow their exploitation to be Stopped ? The odds against Allende are great Army coups are two-a-penny in Latin America. Twice before the U.S. has successfully intervened to oust moderate reforming regimes who threatened U.S.interests - in Guatemala in 1954 and the Dominican Republic in 1963 and 1965. They tried it, unsuccessfully with the invasion of Cuba in 1961. If Allende is to survive he will have to have behind him a militant working class and peasant movement prepared to use force if necessary to defend the revolution. If they succeed they may light a torch that will set all Latin America aflame. If they fail it will be through excessive reliance on constitutional methods in a region where the exploiters have never scrupled to use naked force.

LAW AND ORDER

DEMOCRACY DENIED IN SHANKILL

The principle of One-Man-One- Vote will be denied to the people of Shankill Ward, when they vote ina by-election for Belfast Corporation on October 7th. There will be no question of 'votes at 18' - the election is to be fought on the 1967 register (which is three years out of date) and voting will be confined to householders and their wives, or those who have a business qualification. The 'over 18's' will be excluded. So will people who live with their parents, with relatives or inlodgings. On the other hand, people who have premises, but who do not live in the Shankill Ward, will be entitled to vote.

So will company directors who have company offices in the Ward. The notorious multiple voting for businessmen will operate - while working class people will still be deprived of the right to a say in local government. A ministry of Home Affairs spokesman made it clear to Free Citizen on Wednesday that One-Man-One-Vote still did not apply in Council elections: it would not be introduced he said, until the "general' local government elections which had been 'postponed' until 1971 'or even late.’. This flatly contradicts a propaganda statement put out only last week be the Government (mis)Information Service. In a booklet entitled 'Facts at Your Fingertips' newspaper correspondents were informed: “One-man-one-vote now applies to local council elections.

(Electorial Law Act 1967). The same act also authorises votes at 18 in all elections." The dishonesty of the Government about the election reflects their total disregard for the people of the Shankill area. The Unionist lackeys who have represented the business interests of Shankill in the past have never won anything for the working people.

Peter's Hill Swimming Baths was knocked down years ago and still has not been replaced.’ Housing conditions in the area are among the worst in Belfast. At the same time 'redevelopment' has led to very justifiable fears that the community is going to be destroyed.

No attempt has been made to enable people to see that they can both have better houses and preserve the community. P.D. fully supports the demand of the people of Shankill for their democratic rights. That well known comedy double act law 'n order had a field day this week. Finally we had the news that the police had narrowly voted against rearmament. Only 66% voted and since the ballott wasn't secret it is probably true that some chickened out of voting against the Hunt Report for fear of reprisals from good old Artful Tongue.

Clearly the days of gun toting cowboys masquerading as guardians of law and order are over. This is especially true of America where Sgt. John Harrington, National President of the Fraternal Order of Police, said last week, "if the courts won't stop this permissiveness, unless the people we work for are going to back us up, then the feeling of the police is that we'd better resort to the old Mexican deguello - a shootout where we take no prisoners (dictionary defination of deguello - throat cutting, massacre, Slaughter). There is a thin line between civilization and the jungle and that line is (you've guessed it) law and order'’. He also Claimed that pop festivals are a communistic plot to destroy our youth".

RIGHT ON!

FREE CITIZEN 18th SEPTEMBER 1970

THE WORKERS REPUBLIC-

WHAT IT MEANS

[our readers write| Dear Comrade, John McGuffin, predictably enough, took me to task in last week's issue for the suggested limits on property ownership ina Workers' Republic given in my article on the Workers' Republic.

John overlooks the fact that I said it should be the first priority of a workers' government to establish such limits. The point is that it is not the owner of two houses, the medium-sized farmer, or the inheritor of £10,000 who is the source of the exploitation of the working class. These people do not own the means of production, the banks, or the chain-stores.

The first priority of a workers’ government must be to transfer the ownership of the sources of wealth from the tiny capitalist class to the workers as a whole. The lower middle class can be dealt with later. limits The actual limits suggested were purely arbitrary. Of course if every house is needed then not only should no-one be allowed to own two houses but all large houses should be requisitioned and reallocated on need. The same for farms and legacies. But where there is no pressing need it would be unwise if not unjust to try to abolish all private property overnight. In a capitalist society the constant fear of recession and unemployment encourages people to acquire small amounts of property as a protection against bad times.

They will not give it up easily until the elimination of poverty and need removes their fears, or unless they see a clear social need for it.

A minor point. John McGuffin wants even stricter limits on property ownership. Who would enforce these limits since he believes a workers' government is a contradiction in terms? John also casts doubts on the likelihood of the withering away of the state. There was no suggestion that the capitalist state would wither away. On the contrary it will have to be pushed, shoved, or very forcibly kicked.

But a workers' government would I would like to become a member of the People's Democracy. I enclose a fee of 5 shillings. All letters, gifts, correspondence etc. to:- 88, Ladybrook Park, Belfast. To remit sums of money you can use our giro number: 68 101 2005 have as one of its objects the progressive disbanding of its repressive forces once the revolution was secure and the expropriation of the exploiters completed. Finally, I fully accept that a limit of 250 acres on private farm holdings is far too generous. It would be acceptable in some other*countries, but with the fertile land and pattern of small farming in Ireland a limit of 75 - 100 acres would be necessary. Needless to say however it would be the duty of a workers' government to encourage the growth of large producers' cooperatives. Yours fraternally, Michael Farrell. Comrades, The slogan of a workers republic has been adopted by the P.D. as an assertion of our ultimate aim - the achievment of socialism in Ireland.

In previous issues writers have outlined what such a society might mean in practical terms, although it is near impossible to give an exact blueprint for a society which can only arise out of the experiences and:struggles of the working-class against capitalism.

One thing is clear however, that the winning of state power by the working-class of Ireland, North and South, would not necessarily mean the achievement of a socialist society in Ireland although such a victory would be a tremendous step towards it. The establishment of working class rule in Ireland alone would soon be threatened by the forces of capitalism and imperialism if the working class of other countries remained passive. Capitalism has long ago outstripped national boundaries in its neverceasing search for markets and the strongest capitalist countries have brought most of the world under ts control in order to ensure the great est exploitation. Such control does not always depend on armies for its support, but because such countries e.g. America, Britain have accumulated such vast-amounts of capital they are able to start factories, develop mining etc. in countries which lack the necessary capital. But these enterprises have not been built to help the people of these countries; on the contrary they exist because they give ahigher rate of profit of their owners than the equivalent investment at home. If for any reason the prospect of profit disappears, the factories will be immediately closed down and tough luck on the workers! In addition, the great banks and finance houses control the amount of money and the terms on which it will be lent to the 'under developed’ countries, so imposing of the country. This advanced form of can‘* ism - imperialism - is what the vorking classes and oppressed peoples of the world must defeat if peace, dignity and harmony are to replace war, humilation and oppression.

But because imperialism exists on a world scale and because it is not restricted to one country, it can, in the end, only be defeated on a world scale. The socialist revolution can be victorious only as a world revolution. One worker alone cannot defeat the bosses on the factory floor, but must unite in common action with fellow workers if he is to make any progress. In the same way workers of all countries must fich! asa single class with intere. * common to them all. The workers and peasants who rose in Russia in 1917 found themselves opposed by no less than twelve countries. They successfully fought off the assault by imper ialism , but the failure of the workers' revolution in the advanced capitalist countries of the West meant that it was ultim~’-.y impossible to build the socialist society in Russia and it delivered the revolution into the hands of a privileged caste of bureaucrats. international The creation of an international socialist society would not mean a world of uniformity and staleness, but it would mean that national, racial or religious differences would not be used to divide and exploit people. Rather man would use his cultural and racial differences to achieve a greater understanding of himself and his environment - the energy which has been used in class societies to repress and stifle would be released to conquer and overcome poverty, hunger and want, in all its forms.

Such a society would mean another advance in man's struggle to break free from barbarism - the workers' republic would be a major stride to wards that great destiny.

Yours fraternally, Eamonn O'Kane. another fetter on the er EO % Back in Ireland the repression against P.D. members and the general public continues. 11 members are now apparently going to be charged over a peaceful sit-in and occupation of the Toome Eel Fisher ies offices 5 months ago, and more are to be charged with contempt of court for daring to have a peaceful - and perfectly legal picket outside Albert 'Spitoon' Walmsley's court while 17 P.D. members were being framed for demonstrating solidarity with the cement strikers (the appeal of 7 against jail sentences is due next month, money is still need ed for legal defence to keep these comrades out of jail). Apparently delicate Albert was 'offended' by some of the placards. Those who believed he was beneath contempt were obviously wrong.

“CUCK.:

MY HANDS

weehr

REALLY

Caravans ‘Out Of Sight’ As a result of our recent sales campaign in Derry, we have received a number of letters from people, exposing scandals in the Derry Area. One such letter comes from a family living in a caravan in the Brandywell Showgrounds. This family is quite literally segregated from humanity by a barrier of stone and barbed wire. Ina very eloquent letter, Mr. McGonigle explains how for Derry Commission 'out of sight’ is 'out of mind’. Dear Free Citizen, I would like to bring to your desk our present problem, which is nothing short of the imprisonment of those entitled to proper accommodation. Separated, as we are, by stone walls, gates and barbed wire fences, the general public knows nothing of our circumstances. We have no relatives in the priesthood or the teaching profession etc. , our mode of existence is of a lowerclass nature, and therefore the middle-class operators of the Commission and the Housing Trust, when confronted with the possibility of having to house us, feel under an obligation to their middle class connections, and think twice about allocating a working class family into the middle class residency.

MEETING

BELFAST PD MEETING

EVERY THURSDAY NIGHT 8pm

53 HIGH STREET:

ARMAGH PD MEETING

EVERY FRIDAY NIGHT

Pipers' Club (Ogle St. )

WEWRY PD MEETING

RING NEWRY 2682

FERMANAGH PD

For details ask your local 'Free Citizen’ seller.

PORTGLENONE PD

For details ask your local 'Free Citizen' seller. * Normal methods of gaining satisfaction have failed. We have constantly made approaches to our housing departments. Reaction to this is usually a protest-avoiding reply by letter from our General Managers stating their "intentions of attending to our needs".

I personally, through monotonous penning, have gained what seems to be a good response to my pen-andwriting-pad demonstration, but knowing the techniaues of these bureaucrats on the Trust and Commission and their soft-soaping letters I am not deceived. I would like your conscience to sympathise with the conditions which have made this letter necessary. It will be a long cold winter in these hardboard constructions if our situation, through the medium of your newspaper, is not made public. And if from the Housing Trust no satisfaction is given, it will be a very hot summer with appetites for a warm expression of feelings.

Yours always, The McGonigle Family. (Hoping for Free Citizenship). Cohn-Bendit charged in Frankfurt Daniel Cohn-Bendit, the former French student leader, appeared before a civil court in Frankfurt yesterday accused, among other things, of calling a public prosecutor a pig.

JOHN GALLAGHER MEMORIAL

ARMAGH PD INTEND TO ERECT

A MEMORIAL AT THE SPOT

WHERE JOHN GALLAGHER WAS

MURDERED BY CROWN FORCES

ON 14th AUGUST, 1969.

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THIS

FUND SHOULD BE SENT TO:

NIALL VALLELY,

50, NEWRY ROAD,

ARMAGH

ALL CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE

ACKNOWLEDGED...............

FREE CITIZEN

18th September 1970

© MONTHS.

Ch6E,...,. x _, MUST Working

THE TAPE

recoever |

GROUNDS

FOR PLAY

The people of Milltown have tried during the last four years to obtain playing fields for their children; their attempts have met with little success. They were, however, given a small park, with a wall and a few concrete pipes strategically placed to stop any team games.

This token gesture got the Lisburn councillors ‘off the hook' but provided very little pleasure for the children: male youths do not derive much satisfaction from 'swinging' the night away.

There are, however, school playing fields, central to the area.

The children do play on there but a are constantly harrassed by the & #R.U.C. Indeed the R.U.C. as in- ; dividuals are very sympathetic to the children's cause which gives one some idea of the children's plight. What these harrassers continually forget is that it is the people, not the council, who own | these playing fields; it is the people who pay the taxes. Their children have every right to a playground. For too long the § working class have helped to keep the Malone Road clique's children t playing in well-equipped parks (when they already have gardens | twice the size of Milltown's park) while their own children stand around street corners. Again the Milltown residents ar« trying to get something done to keep their children off the busy t streets. A petition is being drawn t up and will be sent round the area; + the Lisburn council meetings will be picketed and protest demonstrations will be arranged if neccessory. The land is their own; they are determined to take it.

No apologetic councillor can help if children's lives are lost on the streets. The people are right.