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SEA slams Real IRA

Thursday 19th May 2005

The Socialist Evironmental Alliance urges the people of Creggan to reject any attempt by the Real IRA to pose as their protectors.

It is widely believed in the area that the paramilitary group has decided to try and win credibility by targeting individuals accused of drug-dealing. Already, there is evidence that some people have been targeted not because of association with drugs but because of personal vendettas.

This has always and inevitably been the result when paramilitary groups unaccountable to the people take it upon themselves to act in the name of the people.

We make the same point about the Real IRA as we have recently made about others. That it's a tiny step from "punishing" people in the name of the community to punishing anyone who challenges attempts to dominate the community.

The activity threatened by the Real IRA in Creggan has nothing to do with achieving a political objective, whether this be a united Ireland or anything else. The objective is to establish the group as an organisation to be feared.

The Real IRA threat comes at a time when the Provisional IRA is reported to be conducting an internal debate on effective disbandment. This has been prompted by pressure from hypocrites like Mitchel Reiss and Tony Blair. But the SEA says that the reason paramilitary groups should disband is that they have become a hindrance to free debate on how working-class communities can move forward.

They should be disbanded not at the behest of ruling class cynics who support mass murder when it suits them, but in their interests of the communities they purport to serve. We need open mobilisation against all the causes of drug-dependence (and not just "illegal" drugs), and against poverty and lack of access to amenities and services.

We don't say, end paramilitarism and join the political establishment . We say, end paramilitarism and turn left to help mobilise against all attacks on the communities---which come mostly from official agencies, anyway

We call on the people of Catholic and Protestant communities to make clear their rejection of the claims of paramilitary groups to act on their behalf. We urge instead open debate and grass-roots organisation to combat the oppression which all working-class communities suffer.





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