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The Truth About the Peaceful ‘Twelfth’

18/07/08

As the corporate media and political establishment laud the passing of the ‘Twelfth of July’ Orange marches as a ‘watershed’ of progress it is worth reflecting upon exactly what happened in the run up to, and on, the ‘Twelfth of July’ this year.

The Orange Order has its roots in a pro-British, anti-Irish, exclusively protestant and right-wing mix of ideology and theology. Orangeism has been one of the dominant influences in the oppressive institutions of the Six-County state since its formation in 1921, with every prime minister of the one-party state belonging to the right-wing institution until Stormont’s collapse in 1972. Its tentacles at one point stretched into every social, economic, military and political power structure in that sectarian state. Where it couldn’t influence by direct control it influenced instead by intimidation.

Orangeism is viewed by many catholics, nationalists, republicans, ethnic minority groups, women and homosexuals as the very epicentre of all that has been, and still remains, wrong with the current status quo in Ireland’s occupied counties. While it represents a bygone era of male dominance and intolerance of anyone from a non-British or non-protestant background, it still holds significant sway in 21st century Ireland.

Yet to watch the media coverage of last Saturday’s Orange marches, one would have been forgiven for believing that a ‘new’ benevolent Orange institution had come into existence. This new Order, it appeared, was simply sharing a most wondrous cultural gift with the people of Ireland; a gift that one and all should embrace in the carnival atmosphere created by tens of thousands of Orangemen and their supporters marching through the streets of the Six Counties.

While many in the media seem to believe that all creeds are welcome on the ‘Twelfth’ the dogs on the street know that only one creed need apply. The ‘Twelfth’ has always been about one creed publicly asserting its dominance over all others. That remains the case today.

Strong and direct questions need to be asked as to why the parades of a sexist, sectarian, anti-gay, mono-religious, mono-cultural and racist institution are given such a positive reception within the mainstream media.

What remained unseen and unreported is an indictment on that media, the Orange Order and the state itself.

All year, every year, Orangemen march in their tens of thousands in parades all over the British-occupied Six Counties. This year like every other, has seen the intimidation and marginalisation of nationalists who have the audacity to live in areas through which Orangemen ‘must’ parade.

This year has seen new parades forced through ‘new’ areas where ‘new’ Catholics live - areas such as Stoneyford on the outskirts of Belfast. This year has also seen existing parades increased in size with nationalist residents associations not being permitted to protest at these acts of triumphalism.

This year has seen sectarian attacks and violence including firebombing of homes, knife and gun attacks, brawls and riots fuelled by drink and hatred.

This year has seen government-funded, five-storey tall, bonfires brandishing enormous Irish tri-colours with the message ‘Kill All Taigs’ (Catholics) and ‘Kill All Irish’ emblazoned across them. This year has heard leading Orangemen from Rathcoole to Rasharkin, from Down to Antrim express their disgust and distrust with everything Irish, with everything from the Dublin government to nationalists in Stormont, to residents who oppose their parades, to the Chinese community who practise ‘paganism’.

This year has witnessed everything that Orangeism has ever stood for. The same values and actions have been witnessed every other year, to greater or lesser degree, since the Peep’o day boys became the Orange Order over 200 years ago. What marks this year out from other years is the all-out attempt by the establishment parties and the corporate media to whitewash the ugliness of the Orange Order’s marching season and what comes with it. Why?

It is the primary thrust of this era of British strategic thinking to absolutely and concretely normalise all that is abnormal about their role in Irish Life. In every way, shape and form ‘normalisation’ has become the centre point of the British strategy in Ireland.

It involves normalising their ‘police’, normalising the ‘economy’ with its free-market ethos, normalising the Irish garrison of 5,000 British troops, normalising the unionist veto and normalising a sectarian state. It also crucially includes normalising these nefarious displays of sectarianism. With the world looking on, the ugly questions and embarrassments of the British government’s legacy in Ireland need to be smoothed over. Therefore that which is wrong, bigoted and anti-humanitarian becomes right, tolerant and humanitarian.

The question must be asked what would happen if an Irish tricolour with the slogan ‘Kill All Catholics’ were to crown a council-assisted bonfire in Dublin? How long before the outcry would become deafening? What would happen if a member of a marching band with the words ‘Kill All Niggers’ shaved into his hair were to walk through an African-American community in New York? How long before the politician’s words of condemnation would clog the media airwaves? What would happen if the English tourism board were to advertise a neo-Nazi march through the streets of London? How long before the people would take to the streets to block its path?

The sad truth is that a blatant double-standard applies when it comes to the nationalist community of the Six Counties. The political and media establishment would have them not only accept a second-class citizenship but actually embrace it.

Martin Luther King once coined the phrase that, ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere’. The Orange marching season and the misery it brings to vulnerable nationalist communities all over the north east of Ireland was, is and remains an absolute injustice, and the deafening silence of the media and politicians is complicit in that injustice.

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