Home | 19th July 1996 | Issue 82

WAKE UP! WAKE UP! IT'S YER SUMMER SIZZLING

IRELAND ERUPTS

"It was the equivalent of letting the BNP march through Southall or Brixton"

Thousands of nationalist youth took to the streets of Belfast, Derry and Armagh with petrol bombs last week in protest at sectarianism, religious bigotry and British rule in Ireland. They faced armed police firing thousands of plastic bullets and killing one man, Dermot McShane, run over by a personnel carrier in Derry. The peace process lies in tatters as the British government (and loyal opposition) shows it has no interest in changing the Northern Ireland statelet from what it always has been - a nasty little police state based on the denial of the most basic human rights to the Catholic minority.

The police decision to clear the way for a 1,300 strong Orange Parade along the Garvaghy Road in the Catholic area of Drumcree near Portadown proved the last straw. RUC Chief Constable Sir Hugh Annesley had originally said he would re-route the march. It soon became clear, however, that the loyalists and the Orange Lodge were gearing up for a symbolic victory to assert the ethnic superiority of the 'Protestant people of Ulster' over the Catholic minority. 20,000 Orangemen gathered at Drumcree joined, to great applause, by a group of fascists from Britain. Ian Paisley and David Trimble, the leaders of the two 'constitutional' Unionist (loyalist, pro-British) parties, competed with each other to show their support for the growing sectarian mob. At one point the loyalists produced a bulldozer as the mob threatened to 'deal with' the 'taigs' in Drumcree.

Meanwhile attacks against Catholics mounted across the province with hundreds of families being forced out of their homes by loyalist mobs. A Catholic taxi driver, Michael McGoldrick, was found murdered by a loyalist death squad a few miles from Drumcree. Even the moderate nationalist MP Seamus Mallon had to be airlifted out of his home in South Armagh because loyalists had sealed off the village.

Faced with this organised campaign of terror against the Catholic minority the overwhelmingly Protestant RUC police showed where they stood - and joined in. The decision to re-route the march was quickly overturned and the police cleared the way for the Orange Parade along Garvaghy Road: "It was the equivalent of letting the BNP march through Southall or Brixton". Local residents' attempts to reclaim their street from Orange thugs were met with a hail of plastic bullets. When protesters staged a sit-down protest in front of the parade they were batoned off the streets by police. "It was like the Klu Klux Klan marching through a black ghetto in Alabama", said one resident, "the Orange Lodge was intent on asserting Protestant superiority and the police let them do it".

Even the Irish Prime Minister was moved to say that "The British government has breached the basic canons of democracy". Not everyone was worried by the events, however. As nationalist communities were invaded by loyalist mobs and Catholic families were forced to flee from their homes Sir Patrick Mayhew, the British minister in charge of Northern Ireland, told an interviewer on Newsnight to "Cheer up, for heaven's sake".

Nationalist anger at the British government's support for the parade through Drumcree led to the greatest civil unrest on any night of the whole of 'The Troubles'. The atmosphere has been likened to that after Bloody Sunday in 1972, when the Paratroop Regiment killed 13 unarmed civil rights marchers in Derry.

The events in Drumcree were soon followed by further police actions aimed at showing British support for the loyalists. More than 50 RUC armoured vehicles moved into Belfast's Ormeau Road to make way for another Orange Parade, one of dozens held throughout the province every July 12th. Four years ago five Catholics were gunned down outside a betting shop in Ormeau Road by a loyalist murder squad. The following year the widow of one of those murdered held a vigil outside the shop asking the police that no Orange bands play as they passed - she was told to "Fuck off ", then arrested. This year the area was put under a 16 hour curfew, house arrest for an entire community. Gerard Rice, a spokesman for Ormeau Road residents, said "Thousands of RUC men are swamping this area and beating people off the streets. It's Orange law ".

These recent events follow an 18 month ceasefire by the IRA during which time the British government has done precisely nothing to move Ireland towards a lasting peace. It has consistently refused to allow Sinn Fein to take part in all party talks - a refusal it had previously justified on the grounds that the IRA had not called a ceasefire.

The last fortnight has shown just how incompatible British rule In Ireland is with peace and justice for the Irish. As more and more of us in Britain are attacked as 'law-breakers', 'the scum of the earth' and 'mindless thugs' for demanding our fundamental rights It's maybe about time we gave some thought and some support to the people of the nationalist ghettos of Britain's oldest colony - people who have suffered much, much more than us for much, much longer.

Some further reading: Pit Men Dead by David Beresford, a moving account of the 1981 hunger strike; Ireland for Beginners (cartoon history): The IRA by Tim Pat Coogan. Republican Net's and other hard-to-obtain publications can he ordered from Green Cross Art Shop, 51 Falls Road, Belfast (50p plus 26p post; tel 01232 243371).

MOTORWAY SANITY!

"Carnival is not a spectacle seen by the people; they live in it, and everyone participates because its very idea embraces all the people... But the most important thing is that we won't be asking the politicians to create a future for us, we will create it ourselves"

A 30 foot pantomime dame was playing the bagpipes; a green-winged fairy was busy granting wishes; there were fire jugglers, bongo players, sandpits and sound systems. So what? Just another festival? Well, yeah but this was a party with a purpose. And it was being held on a section of the M41 near Shepherds Bush roundabout. Reclaim the Street's Street Party III was in full effect as approximately 8,000 filled the streets. A space usually prohibited to pedestrians became an autonomous none of party and protest for the day: road cage became road rave.

"Streets once the open forum of daily life are now the open sewers of car culture"

Under the dame's skirt, drowned out by the nearby techno music, four men and a pneumatic drill were busy digging up the motorway and two trees were later planted in the hole. It was Tuesday before things were back to normal. As the Reclaim The Streets flyer said "There are many ideas of what a green future could be like - a street party offers glimpses of possibilities..." The vibrancy of the party contrasted sharply with the bleakness of the nearby Shepherd's Bush high rise flats. Local kids from the estates came and joined in, at first unsure of their new environment, but soon fully in the swing, and showing party goers where the nearest standpipe was so they could fill their water bottles.

Back to the flyer. "The Street Party, itself reclaimed from the inanities of royal jubilees and state 'celebrations' is just one recent initiative in a vibrant history of struggle, both to defend and to take back collective space. From the Peasant's Revolt, to the resistance to the enclosures - from the land occupations of the diggers to the post war squatters movement on the recent free festivals, peace camps, land occupations, and the struggle against roads. In this country alone, extraordinary people have continually asserted not only the need to liberate 'the commons', but the ability to think and organise for themselves."

What more can we say but NICE ONE!

We had a ball...
* Lost puppy plea - has anyone found a 3 month old fluffy Doberman lookalike with a short twisted tail and a white star on it's chest? It is sadly missed and Remi cries every day. Phone 0171 787 2822
* Did anyone witness any arrests at R.T.S last weekend especially at approx 11.30pm. All we know is that the person arrested was male . Well if that's jogged your memory or you've video footage from around that time ring London Legal Defence and Monitoring Group 0171 837 6687.
* The Brighton Beach Party that was to have happened on Saturday 3rd August has now been rescheduled for later on in the year...
* Stop the Clampdown: Reclaim The Future - Saturday 7th September. Assemble 12 noon at Hyde Park 0181 450 6929.* Reclaim The Streets open meeting Tuesday 23rd July 7pm Battlebridge Centre, behind Kings Cross 0171 2814621

WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD!

Every so often it's inevitable that you meet one of those people who says "I know things aren't perfect in the world, but you extremists do exaggerate things a bit". Next time you meet one of these people maybe you could point out a few facts that turned up in a recent United Nations report on the state of world capitalism:

* The wealth of the richest 358 people in the world exceeds the combined annual income of countries which are home to nearly half the world's population * Water supply per head of population in the world's poor countries has dropped by two-thirds since 1970 * In 70 countries average incomes are less than they were in 1980 * World military spending is $778 billion. Makes you realise just how sane us mad extremists who want to tear the whole system down really are...

INSIDE SCHNEWS

On the 6th March 1996, Animals Rights Campaigner DAVE CALLENDER was sentenced to TEN YEARS IMPRISONMENT after a six weeks trial at Birmingham Crown Court. The Dave Callender Justice Campaign has been set up to fight against this outrageous sentence. The first National demonstration planned is for 11am on the 31st July outside the Royal Courts of Justice on The Strand, London, EC2. Similar campaigns attracted large crowds and went very well, so it would be great to have a big turnout. Don't forget to bring banners and placards - the more visual the better.

* MIC KING is a Native American currently in one of America's notorious "special control units". Due to new harsh prison regimes in the US he is only allowed to smoke tobacco during exercise periods - which have themselves been cut by half. Unlike other religions, Native Americans are not allowed to practices their beliefs like 'sweat ceremonies' - a bit much seeing as it's their country.

He's been without a radio or TV for more than a year with just a blank white wall to look at, and would really appreciate letters of support/donations (international money orders only as prison authorities nick cash) to Mic King 88601, Arizona State Penitentiary, PO Box 8200, Florence, Arizona, AZ 85237, USA.

SchNews IN BRIEF

Bad Attitude, the radical women's newspaper is skint and in danger of going under. A £5 subscription buys the next six issues - please send financial lifebelts to BA, 121 Railton Rd., London, SE24 OLR or ring 0171 978 9057

*** SQUALL the magazine for sorted itinerants is out - now. Get a copy of the best underground magazine in Britain - articles from the frontline of direct action and much more! £2.50 (inc P+P) from PO Box 8959, London, N19 5HW.

PARTY AND PROTEST

AUGUST 1-4 Big Chill live. world and electronic musik, E. Anglia

*** 2-4 Earthy Energy Festival; Beddington Park, Croydon 01273 708888

*** 2-5 Robin's Greenwood Gang; Magical lammas camp 0117 954 2273

*** 2-11 Celtic Festival; Lorient, Brittany- FREE!

*** 2-11 Edinburgh City of Punk Rock 1996

*** 3-4 Organic Gardening Weekend; HDRA, Coventry 01203 303517

*** 9-11 African Drumming Weekend; Godfrey Mensah, Cotswolds 01452 812983

*** 9-18 Rainbow Circle Music and Dance Camp; Gloucestershire 01452 813505

*** 10 Second Brighton Festival of Freedom; Stanmer Park, Sussex - FREE!

*** 10 Wolverstock Free Festival; Brickton Park, Bilston, w. Midlands 01902 711890

*** 10 Vegan Camp, Dumfries and Galloway

*** 11 Smokey Bears picnic; Southsea Common, Portsmouth 2pm

*** Anti-dope Laws 11-18 Green Hand Camp; theatre in nature 01239 710390

*** 16-18 African Drumming Weekend; Godfrey Mensah, Cotswolds 01452 812983

*** 16-18 Pontardawe Festival; West Glamorgan 01792 830791

*** 23-25 Lowlands IV; Dronten, Netherlands 0031 15 212 1980

*** 23-26 Harvest Fair; Dyfed 01994 419641

*** 24-26 Hempton Festival; Sussex 0171 613 5166

*** 25 Sutton Environmental Fayre; Carshalton Park, Roskin Road, Carshalton 11am-10pm - FREE!

*** 25-26 Notting Hill Carnival; London - FREE!

*** 30-1 September WOMAD; Morecambe Bay, Lancashire 01542 582804

*** 30-1 September African Drumming Weekend in the Cotswolds 01452 812983

*** 31 Vegan Summer Gathering- Peak District Details: -Malcolm, 10B Windsor Square, Exmouth, EX8 1JU

* Teknival's Info Line 0181 903 5481/0181 908 1457

* Guilfin have a list of nearly 200 ancient fayres and events supported by Royal Charter that could be revived as legal gatherings / festivals 50p + SAE to PO Box 217, Guildford, Surrey, GU2 6FF.

and finally...

"Hello, I'd like to order a pizza "..."I love you. will you marry me? " "Listen pal, I've just seen yer card in the phone box, how much do 'yer want?" . "Goin' down, goin' down, goin' down...." They think its all over....

Poor old Costain, they thought they take on the contract that even Tarmac wouldn't touch - the Newbury contract. Since then the offices round the country have apparently been receiving nuisance phone-calls, weird and wonderful faxes, unwanted junk mail, girlie calling cards left in phone boxes with their number printed on it. even the odd office occupation ... still they don't seem at all bothered. Oh no, despite share prices being halved - and now suspended on the stock exchange, and an emergency rescue package being put to shareholders on Monday. And what of Newbury? - there are still ten protest camps all of which are on red alert as construction work is likely to begin at any time (get on the action phone-tree 01635 45544) Finally, we at SchNEWS think its disgusting that Costain are being hassled so.... why not ring em and tell them that you at least support them in their heroic struggle against those nasty eco-warriors ...0171705 8444 Fax 0171 705 8599

If you would like to go to the Costain Extraordinary AGM it's on Monday 22nd July, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre. Tube St. James Park 10am

disclaimer

The SchNEWS warns all readers not to attend any illegal gatherings or take part in any criminal activities. Always stay within the law. In fact, please sit at home, watch TV, and go on endless shopping sprees filling your lives and homes with endless consumer crap ... you will then feel content. Honest.

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