DUP-BNP in Identical Outburst

20/06/08

Ever eager to impose their reactionary viewpoints at every opportunity, the Democratic Unionist Party and the British National Party have launched several verbal attacks on Patricia McKeown and her union, UNISON, in the last number of days.

Prominent trade unionist McKeown has been lambasted by the two far-right parties following her defence of the éirígí activists who removed the British Union Jack from Belfast’s City Hall on Monday (June 16) and replaced it with the flag of Iraq.

The action was carried out as a gesture of solidarity with the people of Iraq and coincided with the visit of war criminals George W Bush and Gordon Brown to occupied Ireland.

Earlier on Monday, éirígí activists had unveiled banners on the major motorway routes into Belfast opposing the presence of Bush and Brown and highlighting the ongoing occupations of Ireland and Iraq. Meanwhile, on Friday (June 13), the socialist republican party closed the US Consulate in Belfast for a significant period of time.

The DUP’s Ian Paisley Jr cynically attempted to connect any support for the people of Iraq with sympathy for the now deceased dictator Saddam Hussein.

“UNISON should move to distance themselves from comments that insult not only the Ulster People (sic) but also many members of the trade union movement who want no truck with the Iraqi cause or the former dictator Saddam.”

The north Antrim homophobe continued: “Members of the Union who have spoken to me feel very insulted. If the situation is not corrected I would encourage them to leave a union with such a mouthpiece at its head.

“UNISON must declare if this is its stated position or was this just Patricia McKeown shooting her mouth off and demonstrating where her true colours lie.”

The BNP’s sentiments echoed those of Paisley Jr:

“Patricia McKeown has demonstrated her anti British sentiments and as such her position within the union should be terminated.

“Should Unison not act against her disgraceful comments, then any self-respecting British citizen should relinquish their membership immediately.”

éirígí chairperson Brian Leeson said the unionist groups should stop attacking what they presume to be easy targets on the issue.

“If Ian Paisley Jr and the BNP want to attack anyone over Monday’s gesture of solidarity, they should direct their criticism at éirígí.

“Their tactic of using Patricia McKeown as a scapegoat on this issue in the hope that they can take a political scalp is reprehensible.

“Their call for people to relinquish their membership of UNISON and for Patricia McKeown to resign from her post says more about these two parties’ long standing anti-union policies than it does about the issue of flags.”

Brian continued: “éirígí’s action on Monday was an effort to highlight the occupation of Iraq while the commander-in-chief of that occupation, George Bush, was in Ireland. The hoisting of the Iraqi flag was greeted with the applause of those gathered in Belfast city centre and was clearly a popular gesture.

“The fact that the BNP and the DUP have made identical calls in identical language in response to éirígí’s actions is not surprising. Their attitudes towards ethnic minorities, their treatment of the gay and lesbian community and their position on the denial of Irish national independence identify them as far-right fellow travellers.

“All responsible citizens should treat their hysterical outbursts with the contempt they deserve.”