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The Blanket - A Journal of Protest & Dissent
Concerned Republicans

Republicans opposed to the St Andrews Agreement recently held a public meeting in Toomebridge to express their concerns about policing. Political journalist and Revolutionary Unionist Dr John Coulter has talked to the organising group, Concerned Republicans, prior to the meeting and assessed the potential electoral threat to Sinn Fein.

 

Dr John Coulter • 18 December 2006

Republicans opposed to the PSNI held a public meeting in a Toomebridge hotel on Thursday 14th December, 2006, under the banner of Concerned Republicans to discuss policing alternatives.

One of the main organisers, Willie Gallagher of the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the INLA's political wing, said one of the items for debate was putting up independent republican candidates in the expected 7 March Assembly elections.

These candidates, he said, would stand on a manifesto of non-endorsement of the PSNI and would be anti-Good Friday Agreement and anti-St Andrews Agreement.

Mr Gallagher said both the SDLP and Sinn Fein had been invited, but in the days prior to the meeting, he did not know if the parties would send representatives.

“At this stage, it is difficult to know how many people will attend the meeting. We have sent invitations to all parties, but so far only the IRSP and the 32 County Sovereignty Movement have said they will attend.

“We would encourage Sinn Fein to come to the meeting and talk to the wider republican community,” said Mr Gallagher, who said previous meetings organised by SF were “only for yes men”.

Describing allegations of threats against the SF leadership by so-called republican dissidents as “absolute and total rubbish”, Mr Gallagher added: “Sinn Fein should not endorse the police force. We are looking at the possibility of putting up independent republican candidates to protest at any Sinn Fein endorsement of the PSNI, but this has not yet been finalised.

“We are also looking at encouraging republicans to destroy their votes as a protest. We want to put forward the republican position – how can a republican endorse a British police force?”

Mr Gallagher said the attitude by SF towards the Concerned Republicans group was to try and stop the haemorrhaging of SF members and prevent them joining up with Concerned Republicans.

The leading IRSP man said more public meetings to discuss policing were planned in the New Year for Strabane, Derry and east Tyrone.

“We want people to come and voice their concerns and seek out alternatives to policing. If they have ideas on these topics, we want to hear them. Any police force needs to get the full support of the community.

“It is a myth that endorsing the PSNI will bring law and order to the North's streets. We in Concerned Republicans would be proposing schemes similar to community restorative justice, and community neighbourhood watch schemes, where the implementation and ownership of policing is community owned,” said Mr Gallagher, who added similar schemes had operated in loyalist areas.

Meanwhile, another high profile independent republican, Mickey Donnelly from Derry, stressed the main purpose was to get people together and connecting.

“There are many people coming to the meeting with no ties to any party and this will give them a focus. They're coming together as a forum. There has been a strong suggestion of getting independent republican candidates to stand.

“I have always been in favour of abstentionism because of the dangers of getting caught up when seats are taken. People do need a focus. Such candidates would be challenging Sinn Fein, but if elected, they would not be taking their seats. Whilst they would be independent republicans, it would be better if they stood under a possible banner.

“I want unity within republicanism. It has been split for many years and it has allowed people like Adams to take control. We want more democracy and freedom of thought.

“As for the short-term aims of the Toome meeting, for the first time in 30 years we would not have secrecy and we would have freedom of thought.”


There is the possibility Northern Secretary Peter Hain could postpone the March election until May or even the autumn of 2007 should both SF and the DUP face a significant electoral threat from rival anti-deal candidates from the Concerned Republicans group and the staunchly dissident Unionist UKUP led by North Down barrister Robert McCartney.

Already within Unionism, an anti-deal pressure group, calling itself the Voice for Democracy Umbrella Group and made up of victims' groups, marching organisations, political parties, community groups and churches, has been established.

It claimed a recent critique of the St Andrews Agreement produced by the group had unnerved DUP policy makers.

It appears to be attempting to galvanise dissident Unionist opinion in much the same way the anti-Belfast Agreement pressure group, Union First, operated within David Trimble's Ulster Unionists.


 


 


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


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Index: Current Articles



2 January 2007

Other Articles From This Issue:

The Final Step
Anthony McIntyre

Of Animal Farm and Similar Stories
Tom Luby

'Securocrats', 'JAPPS' and other 'enemies of the peace process'
Liam O Ruairc

YO HO HO
John Kennedy

Dilseacht (Loyalty)
Mick Hall

Joe & Roy Johnston: 'Water Running Uphill'?
Seaghán Ó Murchú

Concerned Republicans
Dr John Coulter

Telling Moment at Toome
Martin Galvin

Toome Debate
Anthony McIntyre

Wrap It Up
John Kennedy

KKK Taking Root?
Dr John Coulter

British Army Step Up Recruitment Attempts
Republican Socialist Youth Movement

Is This Anti-Americanism, Or What?
Father Sean Mc Manus

Finding Christmas in Uganda
David Adams

That Which Cannot Be Denied
Mick Hall

Has Regime Change Boomeranged?
M. Shahid Alam

Chile: The Ghosts of Torture
Tito Tricot

Biblical Basics
Dr John Coulter

Headbangers
John Kennedy

Across A Table
Anthony McIntyre


12 December 2006

Chile: The death of a Murderer
Tito Tricot

35 Years of Silence
John Kennedy

Perpetual opposition haunts DUP
David Adams

Sucking Up to Sinn Fein
Dr John Coulter

Circling the Wagons
Anthony McIntyre

Spin Cycle
Carrie Twomey

The Hypocrisy is Pathetic
Seamus Kearney

'Provo leaders should wake up to the truth'
Carrie Twomey

Prison Protest Held in Newry
Republican Prisoners' Action Group (RPAG)

Get It Together
Dr John Coulter

The Liar is Dead. Long Live the Liar
Anthony McIntyre

Throw Away the Key
John Kennedy

The State's Bar Must Always Be Higher
Mick Hall

Zionism: Pitting the West Against Islam
M. Shahid Alam

Mental Madness
Dr John Coulter

 

 

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