On 30 August a council approved Irish Unity march in Govan, Glasgow organised by the James Connolly Republican Flute Band was attacked by hundreds of loyalists. Peaceful marchers were kettled by police. Loyalists clashed with police, set up road blocks and made repeated attempts to get at the marchers.
The council and media responded by placing blame on both sides and promising to ‘review’ future marches under the mask of combating sectarianism. In doing so they agreed with the loyalist rioters that a peaceful march in solidarity with Irish unity was itself a provocation.
Leading newspapers such as the Daily Record ran with the headlines ‘Shameful republican and loyalist riots puts future of religious-based Glasgow marches in doubt’. Susan Aitken, the leader of Glasgow SNP council, stated; ‘The law requires Glasgow City Council to facilitate marches. Councillors try very hard to balance public protection and human rights. But last night, thugs obsessed with ancient hatreds used our city to stage an appalling abuse of the right to process and protest. This can’t happen again.’ This statement was echoed by Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Justice Humza Yousaf and First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
This is the same council and government which allows hundreds of supremacist orange walks to take place each year in Glasgow; oversaw the training of Scottish police by the PSNI to prepare them for temporary service in the North of Ireland in the event of a No Deal Brexit and adopted the IHRA definition of anti-Semitism to criminalise opposition to the Israeli occupation of Palestine. The council has shown that it is prepared to tolerate Loyalism and Zionism but what cannot be tolerated is resistance to imperialism.
As the movement is rebuilt in Ireland, we in Britain must defend the right to stand with the Irish people against the rise of organised reaction and state harassment. This means opposing attempts to attack, slander, criminalise and limit our solidarity.
We call on all progressives, anti-racists and anti-imperialists to support and join the Anti-Internment march this Saturday 7 September in Glasgow organised by Friends of Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association (IRPWA). Facebook event link here. Glasgow FRFI will be joining the march as part of an Irish Unity Bloc called by Glasgow Anti-Fascist Alliance.
Hands Off Ireland!
Victory to the Irish People!
