Date: Wed, 26 Mar 1997 12:40:01
Subject: M-NEWS: EASTER STATEMENT OF THE IRISH REPUBLICAN SOCIALIST MOVEMENT


EASTER STATEMENT OF THE IRISH REPUBLICAN SOCIALIST MOVEMENT

Comrades and friends,

Today we gather to remember those who before us who made valiant 
efforts to create a just society on this island. Many of them died 
in battle, in prison, in civil war, or if they were lucky, reached
their three score and ten. 

Let me state clearly on behalf of the total leadership of the 
Republican Socialist Movement why we honour our Republican dead.
We honour the United Irishmen for introducing onto the isle of
Ireland the advanced ideas of the time, Liberty, Equality and 
Fraternity. The gallows an the itch cap may have killed the bodies 
of those men and women of '98, but they did not, nor could they, 
wipe-out the radical ideas of Republicanism. Today we reaffirm our 
dedication to the Republican ideals of the United Irishmen.

In reaction to the horrors of the Famine and the ineffectual efforts 
of the liberal Young Irelanders, the Fenian Brotherhood was established 
in the 1850s to create a conspiratorial Republican organisation that 
would not cease until the Republic was established. We affirm our 
commitment to their unyielding Republicanism.

James Connolly married the advanced ideas of his time, Socialism, to 
the Republican ideal, creating the distinctive Left voice of Irish 
Republicanism that our Movement takes its inspiration from. He also 
created the first Workers' Army in Europe, the Irish Citizen Army, to 
defend the interests of the Irish Working Class. We proudly reaffirm 
our commitment to the Socialism of Connolly and to the universal 
internationalism of the Socialist ideal.

In 1974, in breaking from the crude reformism of the Official Republican 
Movement, Seamus Costello re-established the revolutionary credentials of 
the Republican Socialist ideal. In establishing both the IRSP and the 
INLA, he pointed the way forward for the movement.  We proudly reaffirm 
our commitment to the organisations Seamus Costello founded.

When that movement lost its way, Ta Power gave it his writings,  the means 
by which this movement could regain its soul. In so doing he, along with 
other fine comrades, lost his life. Ten bitter years of both political 
and, unfortunately, military struggle has finally seen Ta's political 
position vindicated. In this Movement, the Primacy of Politics is 
paramount. We rededicate ourselves to the revolutionary principles 
of Ta Power.

That Ta's position was vindicated owes a lot to the energy, commitment 
and leadership of Gino Gallagher, who took this movement by the scruff 
of the neck and dragged it back to the revolutionary politics of its 
founders. Gino paid with his life. We salute and honour Gino.

To our growing body of supporters and friends, both in Ireland and overseas, 
we give our thanks and also this promise, that this movement will continue 
to stand by the Republic. The Republic of Tone, of Connolly, and of Costello, 
not the republic of De Rossa, Spring or Bruton.

Socialists and Republicans, it is the policy of the movement to build over 
the years an alliance of the dispossessed, of the powerless, of the deprived 
throughout this country. Such an alliance must challenge those who, using 
either Nationalism or Unionist rhetoric have feathered their own personal 
nests and robbed the wealth that rightly belongs to the people. We make no 
apology for being old-fashioned Socialists. There is still a class struggle 
in Ireland--North and South--and the 30% of the population who struggle daily 
below the poverty line know it, the single parents know it, the political 
prisoners know it, the low paid know it, the Gay population know it, Working 
Class women know it, workers in both the health and education services know
it, the young unemployed harassed by either Gardai or RUC know it, and the 
Irish Republican Socialist Party knows it!!

As Socialists we were able to analyse and condemn the attempt by Sinn Fein to 
build their peace process on the backs of an all-class alliance, encompassing 
American imperialism, Free State capitalism and SDLP collaboration. It
gives us no satisfaction to have been proven right. A genuine peace that 
allows movement towards the Republic will, we acknowledge, be hard to find 
but unless it is found, the future generations are doomed to replay the 
battles of the past. Partition has been a political, economic and social 
disaster for all the people on this island, and in particular for the 
Working Class communities in the North, who daily suffer the consequences 
of its imposition.

No Republican ever in the future should trust the word of the British
unless that word is written in stone and witnessed by reputable international 
peace brokers. The Government of the British has been duplicitous,
treacherous, racist, war-mongering and brutal. The only thing that they 
have responded to in the past in a positive fashion has been one or another 
form of force. That force, in the past, has been force of arms, force of 
votes, force of public opinion or the force of international pressure.

The Republican Socialist Movement accepts that talks are better than war.
We have in the recent past welcomed such a peaceful climate that allowed 
political dialogue. How then can we be excluded from the whole ongoing 
dialogue. Our party was specifically barred from standing for elections 
to the farcical Forum! Our leadership ignored and isolated, our comrades 
slandered and silenced by the Free Sate media, our prisoners victimized, 
and calls issued for our movement "to be dealt with" (in plain language, 
"wiped out") by lionised loyalist leaders who have not the guts to condemn
sectarian murder.

We say here and now over the graves of our comrades, the IRSP will not be
silenced, wiped out or dissolved. We will continue to exist so long as 
imperialism continues to rule. It may be considered old fashioned to talk 
about imperialism, but so what! A vulture draped with a Union Jack, a 
Tricolour or the European flag is still a vulture.

We stand today for a secular independent Socialist Republic. In working
towards that, we call for a unity of Republican forces. We call for the 
convening of a Republican Forum and appeal to all Republicans, to all 
Socialists, let us work for the maximum unity possible at this time in 
order to safeguard the core Republican positions. Accordingly as our 
contribution to unity, the IRSP call for a vote for Provisional Sinn 
Fein in the Westminster elections. Whilst we disagree with their so 
called "peace strategy" and are critical of their elitism, arrogance, 
and their fawning to the Yankee dollar, nevertheless we recognise that 
a strong vote for Sinn Fein is a powerful way of sending out to the 
British and the Unionists that their days of domination are coming to
an end.

Given the series of attacks on our Movement in the last year, attacks
designed to silence our political voice, it is important that we pay 
homage to the volunteers who defended this Movement. We salute their 
courage and efficiency.

To our prisoners we send revolutionary greetings and call on them to 
keep up their revolutionary faith so that upon their release they may 
contribute even more effectively to the struggle for a Socialist Republic.

Comrades, stand by the Republic!


ENDS