Journal of Socialist Democracy Lessons Drumcree
Socialist Republic1996Loyalism and unionismPeace process and British initiativesLabour, the left and left unityLoyalism and unionismPeace process and British initiativesLabour, the left and left unity
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Druncree was a victory for the orange mob. It demonstrated their “right” to freely indulge in sectarian intimidation and their immunity from the massive legal and repressive appatatus that dominates the nationalist community in the North.
It showed that the North remains a sectarian hell-hole and the RUC a bigoted Orange force.
It showed that when it comes to the crunch Britain will not confront the Orange mob that remains the base of its occupation in Ireland.
It shows that the Downing Street declaration and all the negotiations between Dublin and London are based ona lie-the lie that through “equality of the two traditions” we can accommodate Orange triumphalism. The process they are engaged in will lead only to capitulation to bigotry.
The “negotiations” at Drumcree are a lesson in what allparty negotiations at Stonmont mean -aroute to the retum of Orange rule. In one word it has shown that the peace process is a lic and that Sinn Fein support for it has been a disaster.
erry Adams and residents of the ower Ormeau under curfew by he RUC The task that faces us is not to accominodatc to Orangeism in Ireland but to defeat it and the British presence which is its lifeline.
We had 25 years of a militarist strategy under republican leadership. It failed. It has taken only 2 years to expose the bankruptcy of an alliance with Dublin and the SDLP.
We need a new leadership and strategy. We need a movement against sectarianism. Not a Catholic movement, but one which unites with all those Protestant workers who are not members of the Orange order, do not support it and oppose ‘ts bigotry and takes the struggle out of the confines of the North to unite workers in all 32 counties in a struggle to defeat the forces which divide and weaken us as a class.
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RUC om of Nationalist areas! Disband the Orange RUC! SDLP out of Stormont talks! Dublin: Scrap the framework deal !