“The manifesto of the Irish Solidarity Campaign, published on…”
The headline could not be read by machine (it read “The Ifisn Cirizen Ireland: the War Will Gontinge”); the title shown is the article’s opening words. Read the scan for the printed headline.
The Irish Citizen1972Solidarity in BritainRepublicanism and the IRABritish troops and the occupationSolidarity in BritainRepublicanism and the IRABritish troops and the occupation
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The manifesto of the Irish Solidarity Campaign, published on the centre pages of this issue, has been drawn up as the basis for discussion at ISC’s conference at Oxford on April 29-30.
It is the purpose of this conference to bring together all those who support the struggle against British imperialism in Ireland, and are prepared to do so on the basis of demands whick: leave no room for doubt about which side must win in the struggle for national liberation.
The Irish Solidarity Campaign regards its demands and its programme as complimentary to those of the Anti-Internment League, in which we actively participate. While the AIL is a broad-based organisation which is able to attract many who find the actions and role of British troops in Ireland totally repugnant ISC believes that it is essential to declare open solidarity _ with those actually leading the strugpress at the most crucial time in Irish history since the summer of 1921. Then, as now, British imperialism is in a process of manoeuvering to achieve one more “final solution”’ to the Irish problem.
British imperialism is still motivated by the same basic principles. And now, as then, it is up against the same difficulties.
Their problem is clear. After Bloody Sunday their military advisers recognise their inability to defeat the IRA unless they can isolate it from the Catholic population and force through sufficient political reforms in the North to allow Lynch to suppress the IRA in the South The problem is that if the “concessions™ offered to the Catholics are too great, they msk provoking the so-calied Protestant becilash. This backlash in fact means 2 vanguard pogrom against the Catholic working class arises not from any concern for the Eves or abolishing the state of Northern Ireland struggle, before the war continues. ture of the Orange state. will stop short of From the viewpoint of the nationalist mincrity in the Six Counties, concessions which stop short at the abolition of the state will mean that they must permanently remain prisoners within this artificial regime, and that any reforms will be subject to the good will of this regime. The best that any package deal can offer them is precisely the offer that they rejected in 1922.
Thus the most that any political initiative can achieve is a short pause in the present on the Irish issue.
It is in this situation that ISC views the explosion at Aldershot and the ban on Irish demonstrations in Trafalgar Square. We weep no tears for the blast which shattered the officers’ mess of the barbaric Parachute Regiment, while regecttimg thet Gvalkan employees of the British -army were killed and not the officers and gentk men who were the tarect_ What we need to arm rom One ame Bed to construct m Britain 2 mass politcal ment on a pnincapled basis_ composed af a. who will not run for cover as the sal Ee ound the ears of 13 injured officers: 2 mOWEEEEEE which sees that the answer to bams and prescue tions is the launching of a political campanss t force the withdrawal of these bans and to defend the democratic right of assembly and free speceh Only the Irish Solidarity Campaign provides the basis for such a movement, which emphasises the importance for all who support ISC to attend the conference at Oxford.