Sinn Fein strangely silent at Shannon anti-war protest
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Friday January 24, 2003 13:47
by Allen
An Article by Sen. Brendan Ryan published in The Evening Echo.
I was in Shannon last Saturday. I was there because there is something
profoundly immoral about being involved in war while pretending nothing
has changed. If our government wants us to support the U.S. then
like Tony Blair they ought at least to have the courage to say so. It
appears though that a classic “Tadhg a' dá thaobh” position is
their preferred option. For George Bush we're doing everything he asks
of us. For home consumption it starts with denial and moves on to
something less, accompanied by the assertion that even if they
are breaking our laws well it's only a little bit !! And no doubt
the person who saw US officers in a Limerick Hotel in full uniform walked
in on a film set!!
So the first protest was about truth and our right to have it. The
second protest was about war. It was about the apparent determination of
a US President who was never properly elected to go to war whatever the
rest of the world or the United Nations thinks. And our government again
talks of the United Nations but doesn't say what they will do (as distinct
from what they say the wish to do!!) if the US and the UK ignore the United
Nations.
The third protest is about hypocrisy. Sadam Hussein is powerful, ruthless
and dangerous for his own people. But the reason he is like that is becaus
the US and it's allies built him up, funded him and armed him in order to
try and destroy Iran. And even after the Gulf War they left him there
because they felt that any likely replacement would be too left wing for
their liking. And besides he could be relied upon to keep the Kurds
from doing anything about their independence.
That's why 2000 people found ways to get to Shannon last Saturday. It
mattered so much to many Munster people that they even missed Munster's
greatest triumph for the sake of principle and peace. And in spite of the
seriousness it was both an enjoyable and a colourful event. Banners were
plentifull with Labour more visible than they have been for many years, but
with the Greens, The Socialist Party, The Socialist Workers all there
with their various shades of red and green.
Funnily enough one shade of Green wasn't visible . There were Sinn
Fein representatives there all right which you'd expect given the noise
they made about neutrality during the Nice referendum. Perhaps there were a
large number of Sinn Fein people there; I don't know them all. Though I do
know they claim to have hundreds of members in Limerick .
So where were the banners? How come the party ,that for it's size is the
richest in this state, couldn't muster banners and placards to match The
Greens or even The Socialist Party. Sinn Fein is a party of prfessional
communicators. It is efficient disciplined and organised so the absence of
banners and posters was hardly an oversight. On other occasions they have
produced the lot at what seemed like an hour's notice so I can't believe
they forgot.
So why would Sinn Fein decide not to make it's presence visible at a
protest about our neutrality, about a future war and about militarisation?
Could it be they didn't want to be seen? And if so by whom? Well the Gardai
saw them , other political parties saw them, and Irish papers reported
their presence. So it wasn't us they were hiding from. Who was it then?
Well of course I don't know. But Sinn Fein is the richest party in this
state because it raises enormous funds in the USA. Those funds have
enabled them to fund huge full time organisations in the constituencies
where they hope to do well. Before the last election one Labour T.D. was
faced with six full time Sinn Fein people for the two years before the
election. All paid for, presumably, by American money.
Americans and Irish Americans in particular are patriotic in ordinary
times. They are almost fanatically so today. And they think very highly of
their armed forces so they wouldn't be very keen on funding organistions
which object to the presence of US forces on their soil. Indeed they might
get very angry indeed if they found out about it. And since most of them
rely on TV for their news then a bit of invisibility at a protest
would protect Sinn Fein from the consequences of what they tell us are
deeply held convictions about our neutrality.
So I believe Sinn Fein chickened out. When their principles and their
pockets came into conflict they opted for invisibility. They decided
they'd keep their US funders happy and keep their protest low key and
largely invisible, particularly from the visual media. If a picture is as
good as a thousand words then a question arises. How many dollars is the
absence of a picture worth? And how many dollars is a principle worth??
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Comments (17 of 17)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17I used to have time for Brendan Ryan. Then he joined the Labour Party. As a friend of mine would say he'll make some noise but when it comes down to it Brendan won't frighten the horses.
Brendan must be well in with the Crosbies because they gave him a weekly column in the Evening Echo. It wasn't even suspended during the General Election in which he was a candidate. The Crosbies won't frighten the horses either. Once a Fine Gael paper, the Echo has gone FF / Labour these days.
You raised a few points mainly that we sold out our principles for funding in the US.
Firstly let me say that I have also been dismayed by our lack of grassroots activsm on the War issue, to date. Some may be thinking like yourself that this because of funds we raise in the US, but it might also have something to do with us campaigning on a whole load of other issues aswell, Nice, then Nationalists Under Siege, Budget Cuts, Bin Charges.
We are not as well off as most seem to think.
We contest elections in two juristictions and we're in the process of garnering support in the 26 through opening up constituency offices, all this takes money.
Not to mention that one of our main fundraisers were cut short recently, i.e Stormont
SF elected give around the majority of their wages back to the party.
What I would say is that organising you mentioned although slow to get off the ground will be seen much more vividly over the next few days and weeks.
We will have a large presence on the 15th!!!
Before I begin this is not a 'SF are great and the rest of yese crap' article. I merely want to correct Senator Ryan's inaccuracies.
1. Yes there were Sinn Féin members there including our TD Martin Ferris and yes we have hundreds of members in Limerick City and County a substanial number of whom were there and a photograph of a Sinn Féin placard appeared on Indymedia. Deputy Ferris also made clear his willingness and desire to speak at the demonstration.
2. Sinn Féin is not the richest party in the State. Senator Ryan's party spent more than us in the last general election as will be proved when the figures are published later this year.
3. The overwhelming bulk of Sinn Féin funds is paid for by local constituency organisations and by party members who might be full-time, but are ill-paid, and in some cases, not paid. I would also remind the Senator that money raised outside the State cannot be used in elections in the South.
4. Sinn Féin banners, placards, speakers and representatives have been at anti-war marches for some time now, a long time before the Labour party discovered it was an issue. They will be there again on the 15th of February, as I hope will Labour banners and the banners of other organisations and parties.
5. Sinn Féin regularly issues statements opposing the possible war in Iraq, and American foreign policy in general. These statements are given wide dissemination in the United States by our helpful friends in the Ulster Unionist Party and the American State Dept. Americans are well aware of our politics on the issue. Commentators have already suggested this might lead to a drop in support for Sinn Féin over there. If they were not aware of our politics, how could our support (allegedly) drop as a result?
6. I am not out to start a row with Labour, and I am not suggesting that Sinn Féin has done more, or done better, than certain other parties and organisations (Except Labour) :), I merely want to correct Senator Ryan's inaccuracies and his rather obvious attempt to play party politics with an issue of such importance.
you shall have your freedom
and still break stone.
Green is the colour of the Ecology movement
Irish nationalism
Islam
it is a very pretty colour.
The Irish constitution makes curious reference to blue, being a little blue book.
Interesting comments from Brendan Ryan. As one of the people carrying a Green Party banner at the march, I found it very strange that we had more banners than Sinn Féin.
It is the first time I can ever remember being at an anti-war protest march where the Greens were far more prominent than Sinn Féin.
During the March the Greens had 4 speakers in all and Sinn Féin had none as far as I am aware.
I have noticed that since the general election Sinn Féin has gone extrordinarily quiet on all issues except for the Nice Treaty, Northern Ireland and the national question.
How long is your nose Niall? As you well know Sf has been involved in anti war campaigning. Their banners are always on marchs to the US Embassy.
What do you think you are going to gain from this squalid attempt at a smear? All you are doing is damaging Green Party credibility.
Stick to the tactics of building the campaign against the war.
I'm not surprised at Ryans remarks he is a opportunist who has always been anti Republican.
But I dont think Ryans views are typical of Labour anymore than Brolchains are typical of the Greens.
Surely having "mine is bigger than yours" debate in the run up to the biggest ever anti-war march on the island is not helpful. I am a member of Sinn Fein and do not think that the 15th of Feb should turn in a pr excersise for any party. We all are aware that the political parties of the Left, ALL OF THEM, have been active on this issue.
Political parties who get involeved on marches on issues, such as a war that has dubious motives, legal suspect and morally wrong, should make their presence known, as in a poster done by the party stating their opposition to the war. There is no need for every member or supporter to carry one and there is no space in my opinion for generic banners or poster stating the parties name.
There are many hundreds of thousands Fianna Fail and Progressive Democrats voters who also oppose the war, we should all try and ensure that they can feel comfortable and a sense of ownership on their opposition to the anti-war effort.
There are too many campaigns in Ireland, anti- racism and bin tax, which have been hijacked, fronted and taken over for party political purposes (especially by the left).
Lets help all people on the 15th feel welcome to attend and not turn this march and the anti-war campaign into a competition of numbers of banners, posters and leaflets.
Hey Pat C, whoever you may be.
You called me Pinnochio and wrote,
How long is your nose Niall? As you well know Sf has been involved in anti war campaigning. Their banners are always on marchs to the US Embassy.
I wrote,
It is the first time I can ever remember being at an anti-war protest march where the Greens were far more prominent than Sinn Féin.
I am not a liar, I totally agree with you that Sinn Féin banners are always on marchs to the US Embassy. That is the very point I am making.
Please read and understand before getting involved in name calling.
You also wrote:
"I have noticed that since the general election Sinn Féin has gone extrordinarily quiet on all issues except for the Nice Treaty, Northern Ireland and the national question"
As you well know this is untrue.
"Please read and understand before getting involved in name calling."
Please dont qoute selectively from your postings, it only makes you look even more opportunistic.
Stop bickering you twats, who gives a fuck who won the prize for best placard, thats not gonna stop the third world war...THIS IS NOT ABOUT YOU OR YOUR PETTY POLITICAL PARTIES! This is about building a movement...leave aside your party political bigotry until after youve achieved something...youre gonna have to work together to get people out of their armchairs and out onto the streets calling for a better day..with ONE VOICE! Thats the only way its ever going to work.
Right on. I've been stressing that building the campaign is the main issue.
C'mon lets get the heads down and unite on this one, I am one of those Fianna Fail voters referred to above (as I think Labour, Sinn Fein, Greens, and other socialist would f*&k the economy) and I, like many of my "conservative right wing" (sic) friends, am against the war, the story in the evening echo is not helpful to anyone but the people who support the us of Shannon as a stopover. Labour don't own my opposition, neither do Sinn Fein, The Greens, The Socialist Party - I own it. We need to get 'middle' Ireland to support this and then maybe, just maybe, our TDs willl realise there is no point in supporting the US charge to war.I will bring my own poster; handwritten, non political and to the point. I hope others do the same.
Senator...whatever....you are a silly man.
Its laughable protesting the few U.S. troops that pass through Shannon while remaining silent about Britain's occupation of Ireland, a far, far more serious, and certainly more long-lasting, military imposition. Anti-imperialism should begin at home. But its safe protesting at Shannon. It takes more courage to protest the real threat posed by Britain. So the protests at Shannon are mere posturing and play-acting
This was the first Shannon demo of Brendan Ryan since the campaign began. He hasn't attended any of the anti-war meetings or demonstartions in Cork.
Bandwagon jumper. Perhaps he shopuld ask his colleague John Kelliher lord mayor to stop supporting the service charges
To be fair to the Republican Movement I think we can say they have taken a great dael more direct action in the field of fighting, resisting and frustrating foreign Imerial troops on Irish soil.
But lets all unite and maybe leave out the party politics. There were lots of Shinners at Shannon on Saturday and party placards too. Why was Martin Ferris not allowed speak? What "Party" was calling the shots?
As an independent protestor I will resist ANY party trying to hi-jack this Movement. Maybe that is why Sinn Fein didn't organise a phalange of 1000 loud placard carrying members, which I think they could if they wished. Maybe it shows a bit of class we could all try to emulate.
I am far from being a fan of his but there is some truth in what Brendan Ryan says, and the hysterical attacks on him only show upthe bankrupcy of many of the above posters. "Unite!" raised an more perceptive point that perhaps realised:
......Maybe that is why Sinn Fein didn't organise a phalange of 1000 loud placard carrying members, which I think they could if they wished.......
For a party of their size they should have had at least 1000 there, but they did not. Of course they probally had a placard and they often have a few on protests outside the american embassy, but this is the point it is tokenistic. The question is why? If their members were up to much they would not have to be ordered or organised to be there they would have gone anyway.
I am far from being a fan of his but there is some truth in what Brendan Ryan says, and the hysterical attacks on him only show upthe bankrupcy of many of the above posters. "Unite!" raised an more perceptive point that perhaps realised:
......Maybe that is why Sinn Fein didn't organise a phalange of 1000 loud placard carrying members, which I think they could if they wished.......
For a party of their size they should have had at least 1000 there, but they did not. Of course they probally had a placard and they often have a few on protests outside the american embassy, but this is the point it is tokenistic. The question is why? If their members were up to much they would not have to be ordered or organised to be there they would have gone anyway.