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A 'stewards' story on Monday night at Hillsborough national |
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news report
 Wednesday April 09, 2003 12:30 by Dave - n/a
 There were previous posts on IMC wondering why the Stewards were so inactive during the protests on monday night. It's probably because they weren't really stewards. I went on one of the IAWM/GR buses that left liberty hall at 2pm on Monday afternoon. I had travelled as an independent non afilliated individual (though i had some involvement in the Antiwar movement at previous rallies) Upon arriving at the shopping center, a member of the SWP/IAWM who I will not name, asked me if i would be a steward during the march. I was reluctant because i did not want to be associated with the SWP (again) and from previous experience, IAWM "stewards" were merely money collectors shaking buckets, handing out leaflets and touting for membership for the "movement". Eventually I agreed to wear one of the Flourescant bibs and i was given my bucket to collect money. I was not informed of any details as to what was happening, where the march was going, what would happen once the march arrived at it's destination, I had never been to Hillsborough before and had no idea of the surroundings. When i asked what it was that i was supposed to be doing i was given vague instructions to keep an eye on people and stop people from wandering out in front of the road. The march was intended to stop at the stage where the ICTU were holding speeches. I had absolutely no interest in listening to the same people talking about the same things for the 10th time so i continued down the road to where the riot police had set up their road block. I noticed that there were 4 or 5 "stewards" in this group, several of whom i recognised and i knew that, like me, they had been given no briefing or training and were mainly charged with collecting money. A few minutes after i arrived at the barricade Richard Boyd Barret began to address the crowd through a loud hailer. When I noticed this i and i heard him acting as if he had orchestrated the march towards the police lines i immediatly removed my "steward" identification. I no longer wanted to be associated with the hypocracy that was taking place before me. When the "pro war" individual climbed the pole with his poster and the crowd got distressed i was not surprised by the inaction of the "stewards" What were they supposed to do? They had no authority, no training, no briefing, no guidelines. They were brightly clothed individuals and it would have been a judgement call as to whether or not to remove the dissident and that call had merits on both sides. The protest in Hillsborough, i believe, did a great deal to split the movement, not because it was too extreme or dangerous as the SWP might claim, but because it did not go far enough. I could not afford to miss the bus home. Once Barret declared the buses would all be leaving on time regardless of the situation on the ground i just left the protest there and then. On the way back I tried to look the catholic workers in the eye and i found that i couldn't. Theirs is dedication that we should all aspire to emulate The protest in Hillsborough was a total waste of time. SWP want to build the movement until it collapses under it's own weight and the movement become just as disenfranchised with the "radicals" as they are with the establishment |
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Comments (29 of 29)
Jump To Comment: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29like the RUC/RIC/Gardaí/DMC/NIPS stewards have a long history and one should really examine the "·roots·" of the problem.
Some believe and many in Northern Ireland /the north of Ireland/ Ulster / the wee north / the six counties / the safe zone for Mr President / the sweet land between Bann and Lagan that....
Steward is a mis-spelling of Stuart.
The Stuarts of course still lay a fairly credible claim to many crowns including those of Scotland and England.
War's of the "Stuart" succession were many.
An eye witness account of one of the last battles of the "Stuart" line where "Bonny" (pretty) Prince Charlie ("Cathal") faced the "Sasnach" (anglo saxon proto US/K war machine) told of the
"rarre rouwting of the red stewardes"
you got to do history you know.
This 'Dave' is yet another Socialist Party member attempting to discredit the SWP.
But if you believe that the reports are a conspiracy, then it is getting very, very big indeed. The SP/CIA/Anarchists/MI5 must have dozens of members all actively out to undermine the SWP and spreading smears about them, as there have been dozens of accounts on indymedia from groups and individuals complaining of the same things (Non communication of goals, preventing people from trying to pass police lines, poor stewarding, monopilisation of megaphones, demanding that people sit in front of the RUC, no solidarity with arrestees or others...)
You can either brush these all off as slurs, and paint yourselves as the victim of a huge conspiracy, except for the fact that that would have no credibility whatsoever, you would pretty much reduce yourselves to the level of those who complain about illuminati controlling everything - that is a mad cult. Or you could try to respond to the content (not the carrier) of the criticism, explain the misunderstandings and hopefully improve in the future.
What's it to be? Cultish heads in the sand or dialogue? (I think that I already know the answer btw)
But if you believe that the reports are a conspiracy, then it is getting very, very big indeed. The SP/CIA/Anarchists/MI5 must have dozens of members all actively out to undermine the SWP and spreading smears about them, as there have been dozens of accounts on indymedia from groups and individuals complaining of the same things (Non communication of goals, preventing people from trying to pass police lines, poor stewarding, monopilisation of megaphones, demanding that people sit in front of the RUC, no solidarity with arrestees or others...)
You can either brush these all off as slurs, and paint yourselves as the victim of a huge conspiracy, except for the fact that that would have no credibility whatsoever, you would pretty much reduce yourselves to the level of those who complain about illuminati controlling everything - that is a mad cult. Or you could try to respond to the content (not the carrier) of the criticism, explain the misunderstandings and hopefully improve in the future.
What's it to be? Cultish heads in the sand or dialogue? (I think that I already know the answer btw)
Whichever Trotskyite group Dave is a member of, he has hit on a point I've made a cople of times before and that it the lack of stewarding at events like this.
Stewards from some parties and organisations seem to be more bucket carriers and newspaper sellers than anything else.
The only time I was ever a Steward was when I helped out on the Hunger Strike Commemoration march. Most, though not everyone including myself, doing Stewarding were Sinn Féin members. We were given positions in the march, an outline of exactly where the march was going, introduced to the Head Steward and his two assistants and given their contact details and mobile numbers. Walkie-talkies were issued to some Stewards so that information could be relayed up and down the march.
We were told what we should do, what we shouldn't do, and what we should turn a blind eye to. It only took 20 minutes but it made a significant difference.
Again, on the February 15th march, the only people I saw actually Stewarding were PANA and Sinn Féin members, everyone else's 'Stewards' seemed to be selling papers or tossing round buckets and those of us sent down the west side of Parnell Square were kept to one lane by them to allow traffic to go up the street, not by the cops, by them. It was sensible and well run.
I know some people might be ideologially opposed to Stewards or something but if you have a large march, if you organise it and run it, you are in some way responsible for what occurs. So you should act responsibly, police your own people so the police doesn't try and police them for you, and if you are going to confront the police, at least you can do it in an organised fashion with people involved who are in communication with other people in different parts of the march.
What did "a great deal to split the movement" was the leader of Sinn Fein welcoming Bush and Blair while the Bloody Sunday butcher, 'sir' Mike Jackson leads the British troops in Iraq,-doing what they do best, murdering innocent people.
chekov is dave
I agree totally with 'Dave's' comments. I was at the protest and found it to be a stale, dogmatic and disempowering affair. Of course there are many reason for this but (A) the Authoritarian nature of the SWP/IAWM and (B) their bland tactics and rhetoric played a major part.
Of course this criticism will be dispelled as being sectarian and bias or something of the like but I hope (for the sake of 'the movement') that some of the more more open-minded SWP/IAWM members might actually assess the growing criticism of the increasingly ineffectual IAWM.
I have respect and support for the tremendous time, energy and effort the IAWM have devoted but they are now at a stage where their 'one way-our way' mantra is becoming more and more apparent, sickening and repelling. In fact, if this (the lack of debate, diversity, tactics, creativity, openness) continues the Irish 'Peace' movement will go down the drain. Could it be that some people would be delighted with this?
Just a question I was wondering. Ok we got stopped by the RUC. Some people wanted to get into the field, then what? I am not criticising, I genuinely want to know what we would have done. I had to get back home that night, I really didn't fancy a battering off the cops but saying that I felt a little deflated afterwards thinking we could have done more.
Dave = Janus = Chekov = Ruairi = CIA space alien illuminati agents
The IAWM is a coalition which involves people from many different progressive traditions- revolutionary socialist, pacifist, environmentalist etc
It has been at the centre of organising the numerically largest political movement in ireland since the war of independence.
It's tactics are not set in stone but decided according to circumstances and in response to the pressure of members.
the local groups meet weekly or fortnightly.
Their have also been a number of national delegate meetings.
The group whgich i am involved in has about forty
activists and a much larger leafleting and e-mail list. Four of the regular activists are members of the swp.
It has organised thousands of anti-war meetings and
hundreds of anti-war protests involving hundreds of thousands of people.
I wuold like if Chekov, Ruari and others of their kind had to grace to accept the political contribution that the iawm has made to building a new much larger left in Ireland, but i fear they are blinded by their hatred of those who disagree with them on tactical issues.
There has been a good deal of slander aimed at the iawm and a whiole lot of personal insult aimed at Richard Boyd Barrett by friends of the above.
The screeching desperation which accompanies the sectarians denuciations of the iawm is a register of their own complete political impotence. What exactly have chekov, dave ruari etc ever sone to deserve their self-appointed status as the all knowing anti-war dudes.
These guys will nevewr change. They will always be sitting on their arse shouting from the sidelines, coming along to protests theu haven't liftred a finger to organise especially to denounce those who do the actual work of organisation.
At least Chekov, Ruari etc can post with their names unlike the anonymous IAWM member. This seems to be a pretty clear pattern.
The IAWM can claim to have organised (with massive media help) the largest demonstration seen in Dublin since the tax march (1979?). But it failed to do anything once Bertie gave two fingers to that demonstration. Worse then that it launched a campaign of slander and vilification of those who tried to go beyond these limits (eg GNAW and March 1st).
It allowed itself to be the plaything of the SWP DESPITE the fact that the SWP were as you say a minority of the activists. Rather then trying to heal splits in the movement it allowed the SWP to dictate a strategy that made them much worse. I don't so much blame the SWP for this, like the scorpion these methods are in their nature.
In the end it has to be said that the IAWM failed in all its objectives DESPITE the fact that it mobilised huge number of people. This is actually a much bigger problem then if it had failed in part because it had no mass support. The support existed and again and again it was marched to the top of the hill and back down again.
We need to move on. The IAWM contained many useful lessons, many in terms of what not to do but also some things that worked. But as a model for the future - we need something else.
- I actually did acknowledge the great work the IAWM and generally support a lot of their work. I am working alongside IAWM members in organising protests etc.
- My critique doesn't necessarily mean I wanted to hop through the RUC and be a hero. I fully agree with the need for some form of organising and tactical strategy and an impromptu tackling of the RUC is not all that advisable. I simply see the need for an open discoure between all involved - organisers and protesters - as opposed to this 'we are in charge - listen to us' rant and rave.
-'Blinded by hatred'. I have no hatred for anyone and my only tactical disagreement is that there needs to be space and discussion on tactics.
As predicted, my criticism has been denounced as 'sectarian' have no basis other my my prejudice. I wonder if it is possible to criticise the IAWM. Not accepting or even listening to criticism is certainly a SWP trait.
My concerns are above my own bias and 'agenda' - they come from listening to dozens of protesters (from all backgrounds) on Monday evening, assessing their concerns and now, commenting on them. There are many many people who would not join the Hillsborough protest on the basis that they predicted the course of events being steered and manipulated.
Sadly they were correct and sadly they will be joined by many others who will not show in the future. One such example was an elderly woman who came from Derry - her family started a rendition of 'Give peace a Chance' - dozens of people joined in and it was an expression of their own views and ideas. However this didn't suit the 'leaders' who proceeded with the megaphone tyranny of '2-4-6-8 We are not a U.S. state' and drowned out any different voices. These sad, repetitive chants rise up anger and desire for action and when the crowd gets rallied they are told 'we need to go now, we had a great success'. It was not a great success. DEAL WITH IT!
The idea of getting into the field was to stretch the RUC lines. On the road they had only to defend about 5 yards and batter anyone who tried to get through. People in the fields moving forward in a line would need at least one peeler for every one/two protesters. Along the 50+ yards of the ditch in the first field they would need 130 or so riot cops (maybe more) shoulder to shoulder, as they would need to be or people could sneak through the gaps.
I don't know how many coppers and/or dogs they had concealed, but no way could it be enough to hold everyone back. Even if no one got through that did not matter so much, aim being to create as much confusion and mayhem as possible. There were quite a few journalists who had come up with the protest who would have reported it.
The initial call was for people to go into the fields on both sides of the road with the aim of encircling Hillsborough (I don't know how big it is). Thus the SWP argument that people were going the wrong way was nonsense. Another problem (and I'm not trying to be funny here) is that the vast majority standing on the road were looking down into the field as if it was some weird alien territory that they could not step into. There was no wire in the ditch and the drop down was less than 3 feet, but a group of young women beside me were staring at it in terror. In the end I had to push through them and jump down. I don't know if it is just because most of the protestors have never been in rural areas. Scary I thought, if that was the case.
This is only my reading of what was going on. Other people suggested getting everyone in the field to make a big CND sign or slogan or something. Not too bad an idea anyway. Almost anything would be better than marching up the hill and back down again in the SWP permitted protest fashion.
However a valid criticism to be made relates to the SWP being let act the bollox in this manner. Fair enough people are critical but there was no organised group to do anything else. So we just get the Richie and Joe Show. Bush and Blair were here for a total of 20 hours, surely it would not have been impossible to have a permanent protest/camp or something rather that 'the buses are going at 8.30' crap.
its all very well for you bogger types but to a lot of cosmopolitan trots the countryside is indeed alien territory. (odd seeing as Trotsky was a farmers son.) the idea opf entering a field would be terrifying to them; they probably feared that they would be savaged by a sheep.
"A City is a place where you are unlikely to be savaged by a sheep."
Brendan Behan
and adding that the anonymous response: "What exactly have chekov, dave ruari etc ever sone to deserve their self-appointed status as the all knowing anti-war dudes" is exactly what's wrong with the IAWM. This is the way that the IAWM/SWP responds to any criticism or even any questions of their decisions.
In my world you don't have to be all knowing to raise a criticism and questions are not automatically seen as impertinent disrespect of the leadership.
Anyway, as Andrew says, there is no point in harping on about the SWP. That's what they do. They are a Trotskyite party which does exactly what it says on the tin. The real question for the thousands of people who have been active against this war is 'what can we do about it next time?' It is clear that we do need broad organisations, or at least broad fora for dialogue and co-ordination of different groups' activities. If people don't create this, the SWP will, in their own image. The IAWM failed, despite the large numbers involved, to assert its independence from the SWP, what went wrong and what can we do better next time? We're going to get lots of chances, I fear.
All in all i figure that the shambles that was hillsborough has illustrated vividly to everyone there what a mess the broad anti war movement is in and goes a long way to explaining its failures. Also im sure that the many people who seemed shocked and impotent and scared when the group went into the field must now be kicking themselves(or wanting to kick their leaders) for standing limp on the road, only to walk back like eeigits to the stupid stage. I can only imagine what a luagh the ruc had at us and how it must have compounded their adamant refusal ever to be united in a single state with such a pack of pathethic protestors; worst damned protest ever but maybe itll provide the impetus for something positive...now the wars nearly over are we willing to go to shannon on saturday?
Been reading your website with interest, thought you would have made the journey (if you were there just didn't see you).
Just to show that i stand behind my statements I have decided to give my full name and some details about me. I am not a member of any political party. (although somebody did sign me up to the swp without my knowledge as a joke) I have signed up to and attended numerous meetings of the Irish anti war movement and helped organise some of the events in my local area at my University and also in the local area. While I admit to not being active for very long i have tried to do as much as i could to stop this war. I have participated in events organised by the GNAW the IAWM/GR and 1 protest organised and carried out by the Dublin catholic workers.
I am not in the CIA, I am not paid or encouraged by anybody to discredit any political organisation. I do not hate Richard Boyd Barret i have merely become disillusioned by what i have witnessed personally over the last few months
Hello Children,
As you know, life presents its little trials and tribulations and young ones should always do what they're told. They lack maturity, intelligence, understanding and the full exercise of the power of reason that will come, believe me, with the passage of time.
Auntie does not, however, need people with megaphones to tell her what to do. Having grown to full maturity, having acquired a third level education even, and more than once having travelled abroad, she is now ready to decide for herself. And she's good at it. One day, you will be too.
Young ones need adults to organize them for their own protection and survival. But from here on in, this particular demonstrator for global freedom will begin as she means to go on. She will act freely to create a free world. She'll do her own thing.
This land is our land. Look out for me in the field on the right.
You did well, little ones. I knew that none of us would be allowed up to the castle unless we got there the night before and even then we would have been removed. But we assembled in large numbers in a remote location and made a show, a demonstration, of our beliefs and what we stand for. Well done. You can't change the world in a day, you know.
But special praise for those advanced participants who finally discovered that it is not strictly necessary to stand and listen just because there's a huge platform and impressive sound equipment in the middle of the road. Although dangerous for the tiny tots, this conduct begins to emerge in adolescence and should be regarded as the first sign of a newly burgeoning maturity.
Auntie watches with kindly approval those independent minds who are beginning to discover what it means to be free. Along with fellow members of the patriarchy, she knows, in her wisdom, that people who wish to become free must be permitted to act on their own initiative, no matter how mistaken those actions may seem.
Mags. Please come to the front of the class. You are Auntie's star. See, little ones, how Mags thinks for herself. That's right, even though I've been telling you all to do what you're told until now, those particularly strong spirits among you will begin to defy, and in doing so will come into the fullness of your being.
Regards,
Your loving Aunt Jemima.
That It was an SWP member with a loudhailer from the North who called people into the field and it was quite a few other SWP members from the North who were also in the field with others encouraging more people to get in.
they don't represent the unofficial official party policy. They're still individuals, just because you join a party doesn't mean you sign your individuality away
I only know one or two Northern SWP people to see. This lad was beside the ditch asking people to go into the field. Very rapidly RBB and another Dublin SWP lad came running over from the RUC line to stand in the same area as him and contradict what he had said. That was why I assumed he wasn't SWP.
the folk who made it into the village, even to the very gates of Hillsborough Castle where some participated in a white overall die-in. Later these protesters moved (with a little painsuasive help from their not-friends) to the other side of the barricade at the bottom of the hill in the village centre [this was a serious barricade prepared for large numbers of people i.e. they were expecting people to get through]. Some were joined by their friends who wandered into the village from the protest. This particular protester wondered where the crowd was. Eventually he went off with his mates to find the crowd and show them the way to get into the village. Unfortunately, it was about 8.30 at that stage and there was about 30 people left. Next time, take the road up to the left and then the first right at the top of the hill. Or go through the field to spread out the cops. In fairness, a bit of ingenuity on the part of the protesters would have gone a long way.
for fucks sake, it seems to me all ye sp'ers and so on are just in the iawm to watch rbb and co. and to snipe and bitch and complain and try and score cheap points off them, you dont give a fuck about the war at all all you are trying to do is prolong your favourite pastime of having a go at the swp, shame on ye all for doing so, your sectarianism is sickening
Please don't bitch about all of us swp members. Most of us went to the protest with the intention of breaking through the psni lines but were held back by the pretend revolutionaries (revolt when?) we call leaders. You will all have noticed of course that there were fuck all behind the swp banner on the way back.
I still believe in the policies of the organisation but I feel that many of the members are having doubts about the willingness of the leadership to take real action.
What the fuck are you talking about jbc. It isn't the SP having a go at you or anyone else who is involved in the IAWM front for that matter. It's those of us who don't have any time for the IAWM or the SP or certainly not the fucking SWP!
Why is it always the SWPers the biggest sectarians this country has ever seen who come here and whine about people who don't agree with them being "sectarian". Fucking hypocrites.
thats why i said "and so on" to imply all those who were sniping away at the swp like you, now fuck off.
A number of people, largely unburdened by party or ideological baggage, have been complaining about the behaviour of the SWP in the IAWM. I don't think this is motivated by sectarianism but by a dry eyed acknowledgement that they are a bunch of control freaks.I can't wait for the revolution if the "revolutionaries" have decided that imagination and courage won't be needed to bring us to the glorious dawning of a new society.
BTW Nice stewarding getting a spray can off a kid.