Campaigns // Imperialists out of Ireland!!

"The most powerful foe of labour is capitalistic imperialism, and in Great Britain capitalistic imperialism stands or falls by the subjection or liberation of Ireland"

Erskine Childers

Campaign for British withdrawal

Over the course of the last decade the British government has, with the assistance of their allies in Ireland, largely succeeded in neutralising the demand for Irish self determination.  The voice of Irish democracy is arguably now, in 2007, at its weakest point for more than a generation.

Recognising this reality is an essential first step in the building of a new movement for Irish national democracy.  In this regard, as is so often the case, Irish republicans and democrats can look to their predecessors for inspiration.  For more than eight centuries the people of Ireland have resisted British attempts to conquer and occupy their country.  For more than two centuries that resistance has been intrinsically linked to the establishment of an Irish Republic.  And for more than a century Irish revolutionaries have understood that that desired republic must be socialist in nature if it is to deliver not only national but also economic and individual liberty.

Throughout all of this time the fortunes of Ireland’s progressive forces have continuously ebbed and flowed.  On too many occasions those same forces have been defeated, fragmented and demoralised and yet on each occasion, within successive generations, they have re-grouped and re-organised to once again challenge British rule in Ireland.

Each generation too has developed its own ideas with regard to the form a post-liberation Ireland might take and how it might be achieved.  The current, and upcoming, generation of democrats, republicans and socialists will be no different.

It is éirígí’s view that in the global battle against twenty-first century imperialism the only logical place for Irish progressives to channel their energies is in the building of popular support for Irish democracy and by extension, popular resistance to British rule.

By defeating British imperialism on its own doorstep the people of Ireland could contribute a massive hammer blow against tyranny in the global struggle for freedom and justice.

éirígí holds that the most effective way to oppose British imperialism in Ireland today is through the building a grass-roots anti-imperialist mass movement; the objective of which should be nothing short of a total British military, political and economic withdrawal from Ireland.

Such a movement should seek to mirror in its own form the type of Ireland that it wishes to bring into existence.  If the working people of Ireland are to have democratic control of the Ireland of the future they too should have control of the movement that will bring about such an Ireland.  It follows therefore that a movement for Irish democracy will encompass not only traditional political parties but also organised labour, community and cultural groups as well as non-aligned individuals.

Special effort should also be made to include those members of the protestant community, most particularly from the working class, who may traditionally have supported the British occupation but who may now be willing to build alliances based on class and internationalist interests.

éirígí hopes to play a full role in such a movement and has in this context launched it own campaign for British withdrawal.  This campaign will form a central plank of éirígí’s activities over the coming years.

The first element of this campaign, an information leaflet highlighting the true nature of Britain’s role in Ireland has already been produced.  Thousands of copies are currently being distributed across Ireland.  You can access the leaflet by clicking here. Hard copies of the leaflet can be obtained by e-mailing info@eirigi.org or by phoning (00353) (0)86 236 7298.

éirígí is also actively opposing any state visit of the English queen to the twenty-six counties, viewing such a visit as being part of a broader attempt to ‘normalise’ relations between Ireland and Britain - on the basis of the continuing occupation of the six counties. More information can be accessed by clicking here.

Other elements of the campaign for British withdrawal will follow over the coming months.