Where were the Republicans?

 Mags Glennon

At the anti-War protest against Dubya Bush in Hillsborough on Monday7th April, 3,000 people marched two miles up the road to express their
opposition to the warmonger's presence on Irish soil. Assembled was the usual motley assortment of Trots, Tankies, Trade Unionists, Crusties, Anarchist and Greenie types, rainbow clad hippies and a few hundred people who looked like normal citizens.

A mile up the road the more respectable element had followed the rules as prescribed by the RUC/PSNI and set up their platform in the middle of nowhere, before getting down to the usual preaching to the converted act. The SWP element, mostly miffed by the fact that they did not have control of the platform, led the majority of marchers another 200 yards up a slip road, nearer to the village, and had a bit of a shout at the riot squad. More predictable speeches took place and then the revolutionaries ordered us to sit down in the road in front of the peelers. Not this citizen though, I'm afraid, as I prefer to be on my two feet and with hands free whenever the RUC/PSNI are anywhere in the vicinity.

After that we were told to turn around and go back to the main platform.  Mitchell McLaughlin was making a weak justification of the Sinn Féin position when we got there and getting a fair bit of stick from the audience too, which displeased him somewhat. I still haven't quite worked out if Mitch is a very unlucky man who always draws the short straw, or whether it is just that he is the one with the hardest neck. After him we had a blast of vintage Eamonn McCann. Eamonn is great on the outrage and the heated rhetoric. He hailed the right of the Iraqis to resist US imperialism and the Palestinians to resist Israeli imperialism, etc. Not a dicky bird about the right of the Irish people to resist British imperialism though, I noticed.

And herein lie my two main criticisms of the event. The first one, which is becoming increasingly obvious to the intelligent observer over a month of anti-war demonstrations, North and South, relates to the utter uselessness of these events as a form of protest. Follow this formula: Group of people assembles and marches somewhere, speeches are made, the 'revolutionary' element makes a wee token move to prove their advanced and angry 'wadicalism', and then we all troop home to watch ourselves on TV.  Under no circumstances deviate from the formula, do not use any form of direct action, but worship and repeat Khrishna-like the mantra 'peaceful protest', 'peaceful protest'. This is the form of opposition approved of by the authorities - don't do anything that might be effective or cause upset. Don't get angry.

The second element of the protest that disappointed, particularly given it's location, was actually the most important one. Over decades it could always be guaranteed that the Republicans - of Sinn Féin and other stripes - could put together protests that were disciplined, included direct action and actually put the wind up the authorities. Recall the days when the cry of 'subversive elements' was raised to demonise all causes.  But the attendance of Republicans as an organised and recognisable force at Hillsborough was confined to a small number behind the Fourthwrite banner.  There were people present from other anti-GFA groups of course, I spoke to a few myself, but for some unknown reason they chose not to bring banners or placards to identify themselves to the media or the other marchers.  They appear to have chosen to be anonymous among the hopeless hodge podge of left-wing factions and hippies.

Sinn Féin, though the two horses are now rapidly accelerating in opposite directions, still sent Mitchell to present the view of the 'Republican movement' - hence Mitch facing the mob alone. According to reports there is considerable disquiet within Sinn Féin about the decision to meet Bush, but unfortunately few made it to Hillsborough. So no surprise there.  This does not justify the behaviour of Republicans of the non GFA supporting groups. As all the numerous protesting groups were more than happy to ignore the role of British imperialism in the Iraqi war, surely Republicans have a view or two on the topic worth making known to the world media. Just perhaps some of these groups would see the point of presenting themselves as a Republican organisation opposed to the Bush and Blair slaughter of civilians in the cause of colonialist imperialism.

It appears not. Contemptible as Sinn Féin's position may be they at least have the brass neck to talk besuited bullshit both inside and outside the corridors of power. And we let them, no wonder they laugh at the lack of an 'alternative'.