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The need for Grassroots Anti-War activity and not an Anti-War Movement national |
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news report
 Sunday January 19, 2003 19:47 by Akira
 Over the last few months there have been several small demonstrations in Ireland against the latest capitalist war to be unleashed on the world. These demonstrations have mostly been localised to Dublin, with calls for a national demonstration going out nearly once a month. The major focus point for objection to this war in Ireland should be Shannon but certain groups and organisations have taken more of an interest in building the Anti-War Movement in Ireland by organising needless walkabouts around Dublin city centre. While these demonstrations may be in the city that the houses of power and corruption are in they are ultimately pointless. Over the last few months there have been several small demonstrations in Ireland against the latest capitalist war to be unleashed on the world. These demonstrations have mostly been localised to Dublin, with calls for a national demonstration going out nearly once a month. The major focus point for objection to this war in Ireland should be Shannon but certain groups and organisations have taken more of an interest in building the Anti-War Movement in Ireland by organising needless walkabouts around Dublin city centre. While these demonstrations may be in the city that the houses of power and corruption are in they are ultimately pointless. The reason for this is: 1) It doesn't do anything to empower people beyond bringing them out for a Saturday afternoon to go for a walk around the city centre. 2) It doesn't involve much participation, people walk for an hour or so to stop and listen to the same oppurtunistic party leaders and elected "representative's" ramble on about fighting against the war. 3) It's a recruitment drive. Plain and simple. Some of the parties and organisations involved may want to build this "Anti-War Movement" but the number one plan is to recruit 4) It's a paper sale. That's right, we all know it by now, you walk around in the wind and rain (this is Ireland after all) just to find that you have to listen to another speaker and through all that you've had to deal with "Do you want to buy ********* ******, *****, etc... ( i censored those names, so not to cause to great offence) So what's the answer? We don't need this great Anti-War Movement, the Anti-War Movement they talk about is a just a big recruitment agency for some groups. As I said it also has no effect, it may make people feel like there part of something for the day but in the end when Joe Soap has stopped shouting into his megaphone it's off home, or worse still off to shop. Bull... Simple as that, that is bullshit. It doesnt change a thing. What we need is grassroots anti-war activity. All around the country no matter where we live, we should be planning a public meeting, setting up local anti-war groups, educating ourselves and educating our communities on how we are being lied to! We need to have a Cork Anti War Alliance, Kildare Anti War Alliance, Mayo Anti War Alliance and so forth. These groups need to be independant, they need to be open, participatory, involving. They should not be dominated by some carreerist politician who has decided to jump on the bandwagon. They should not be dominated by some Dublin based group which says jump and it does it. No! They need to be autonomous but they also need to work together, a network is needed where grassroots anti-war activists from all over ireland can network and organise not to go to Dublin to listen to some carreerist politician or wannabe lenin but to go to Shannon or Derry to shut down places that have involvement in this capitalist war! We need to focus our networked attention on Shannon, we dont need to go down there on a 3, 2, 1 hour trip to listen to Michael D trying to earn some points for his party! We need to go down there with the want to shut down Shannon. To block the terminals, block all traffic going in there and to invade those damned runways and tear open those damned hangers and make those capitalist bombers feel most definitely not welcome. So let's do it! Fuck signing petitions, forget listening to wannabe lenin's, washed up carreerist politicians, forget marching around dublin on a Saturday (when the dail doesnt even sit) demanding the nice politicians listen to the people they "serve". Let's build a grassroots anti-war network, forget the anti-war movement, indymedia is just one powerful tool here we can network and get in contact with other groups why do we need a posted on O'Connell Street to tell us what to do? Let's do it ourselves!!! |
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Comments (15 of 15)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15Unless the so-called anti-war protestors at Shannon protest the presence of the English war machine in Ireland their activities are mere posturing. England is a key partner in the Anglo-American Empire and to ignore the far greater English military machine in Ireland while protesting the U.S. planes at Shannon is idiotic. It reflects what centuries of colonialism has done to the Irish mind.
I think you should check out:
http://grassrootsgathering.freeservers.com
The last demo in Shannon on December 8th attracted about 398 grssroots protestors, 1 member of the SWP, & one TD. It was a great show except that the GG didn't manage to do all of what they said they would do on the day. That was that regional coordinators would have local meetings beforehand to organise what Direct Action their autonomous groups were happy with and then have a coordination meeting by email or in person to plan & coordinate the days activities. So that was two things they had to do.
1. Get a lot of people there leading themselves.
2. Get the peple doing direct action.
11 marks out of 10 for the first part. The second never happened. Maybe you could make sure that in future it does!
Did people see the attack on the WSM in todays News of the World? Desperate to pick up on anything about the anti-war movement here.
What is this developing fetish around direct action? For the record, Ireland has a long tradition of direct action: republicans have always being at it and the travellers (with their 'illegal' encampments) could give ya all a few teach-ins.
Direct action can be a good thing, but it doesn't have to be done in opposition to marches/speeches/etc. etc. Not everybody wants to express their antagonism to war in the same way. I was at the Shannon demo and the roof thing (in my view) was pointless - and what was with the kids with the balaclavas? Why masks? Are ya all ashamed of what you are doing.
There is some shite appearing at the moment on indymedia about people 'walking in circles in Dublin' and that direct action is the only way to go. So, if we don't do things the direct action way, we're a bunch of wasters? God save us from ourselves!!
Well Terry, it appears that speeches and standing around don't do much. So people are looking for more effective ways to make a difference.
Masks are very useful for preventing pictures being taken by either news photographers (if you have a reactionary boss not getting your pic taken is a good idea), or the spies that work for our obviously corrupt government. No point in making their job easy.
By all means go to a march if you're not willing to do anything else, but if you want to make an impact go for some direct action.
Brian, give us a break! They wore masks because they were afraid of their bosses! Boo hoo! Are you kidding?
If you ask me some of them - and I say 'some' - are morons who wear masks because it feels macho. A goodly portion of those on the roof at Shannon were kids - sixteen and under - and one fella (about 12 years old) was so small the balaclava nearly covered the top half of his body!
And, mate, I am not against direct action per se. I am against making a fetish of it and I am against attacking mass demos as being worthless. As I said earlier, we have a long trad of direct action in Ireland. But get real! Stop criticising mass mobilisations.
Children shouldn't be allowed to express political opinions. Once you allow that then you'll have the teenagers at it and then the "young adults" and next thing you know the "adults" will be doing it in their business suits. Sure it'll all end up in tears. Did you see any "females" among the protestors either? They'll be out having hysterics if you're not careful.
Brian likes byroads, so I'd better say this in one sentence: Wearing masks at an anti-war demo serves no useful purpose but does give the impression that violence is being planned.
Ireland has no reason nor do the Irish to consider the Irish state anything other than an English speaking state in the US/K Atlantic block.
Sorry
agam a leathscéal
but it is true.
The unwarranted and as of yet undenied possession of Shannon by the USAF without prior permission of the Irish state has placed that state in the NATO block and firmly in escalation.
Ireland is in the 21st century an imperialistic power.
It´s people speakers of Gaeilge, English, UlsterScots or Shelta should know that.
As it´s people speakers of Walluv, Arabic, urdu, chinese do.
To deny such is geo-politically flawed.
i don´t like it anymore than anyone else.
http://www.beyondtv.org/pages/features_video.php
Despite the efforts of the original poster on the one hand the the SWP on the buses back from Shannon on the to counter 'direct action' to 'marches' I don't think it makes sense for those involved in the anti-war movements to accept this division. It's pretty obvious that the two have worked hand in hand, the Shannon direct actions forced the media to start covering what was happening there (which brouht nore people out on marches) and the marches can be a first step for people later doing direct action. It's also the case that it is MUCH harder to criminalise direct action when it is in the context of the government ignoring large public demonstrations against the war.
All this has already been said here at length of course after previous protests. And no dougbt will be said again.
What was the News of the World story?
News of the World "Anarchists plan to wreck warplanes" with a verbatim re-production of latest issue of Worker's Solidarity - I have it Andrew so I can give you a copy, next time I see you.
P.S. Always read the tabloids.....
Terry- boo hoo. why not be on the roof? My little brother had to stand around with a placard all day.my uncle and aunty told him he'd look good in the papers. he told me it was really boring, and wished he could have had fun with his friends instead! but i suppose fun/play doesn't count according to you terry. it all has to be so serious.you are a bore,as well as a blatent bigot. As for wearing of masks. there are many real reasons and advantages to doing it.i won't go into them here, because i don't think everthing should be given out on a plate. your complete ignorance gives you away, and i think i'd prefer to leave you that way. easier to see you coming!!
To everyone else: hope ye had a good day doing whatever you were doing!
I agree with a lot of the original post about pointless walkabouts. I have heard a few people point out the uselessness of these little trips while actually on these marches over the last couple of years. Of course the swp and a few others always claim them as a huge success and often actually tell lies inflating the numbers there.
However I also have doubts that direct action will work either for the reason that most of the Irish have become extremely selfish and greedy in recent years. We could see it in Nice 2, and the 'arguaments' used by the government to change their minds (jobs, money and other lying crap)
Most of them will still vote for FF,FG,Labour and the PD's again and again, in spite of the corruption. In spite of all the hypocracy about children and abuse over the past while I dont think most people in this country care about the 5000 kids dying in Iraq every week or so, any more than most really want refugees in this country.
I will be marching on the 15th, but so what? Who the fuck is going to take any notice? Demonstrations never stopped a war. If you think differently, if you think thatdemonstrations stopped US intervention in Viet Nam, read Chomsky's "Manufacturing Consent".
I can't write to my TD or elected representative. Like iosaf, a Paddy abroad, I have no vote anywhere, although I pay tax. Also like iosaf, I am stuck in a country which has openly pledged to allow US to use their bases, unlike Ireland, which allows US to use their airports, but keeps schtum about it, the politicians remaining on holidays until mid Feb.
Would an organised write to your TD campaign have any effect? Do these people take any notice of anybody except big business?
That's right, Planxty, it's all a waste of fucking time. Let's not bother marching or doing any of that stoopid stuff. Let's just give up, and instead all hail Ciaron O'Reilly and his Catholic Jihad.
By the way, well done Ciaron! Respect!!