The Militant(logo) 
    Vol.59/No.36           October 2, 1995 
 
 
Help Advance Irish Struggle  

"Clear as the sun will rise tomorrow, the British government will leave Ireland," Gerry Adams confidently declared, speaking to students and others at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. The Militant urges our readers to join in the actions to bring that day to pass by getting behind the campaign to free Irish political prisoners and pressure the British government to quit stalling on all-party talks.

The fact that the Sinn Fein president and other leaders of the Irish freedom struggle, until recently barred from the United States, have gotten a warm response at meetings of hundreds of workers and young people in this country is one reflection of the fact that the momentum is on the side of the democratic revolution in Ireland.

During the year since the cease-fire in Northern Ireland, growing numbers of workers and young people, both inside of Ireland and abroad, have found the space to join in the struggle to end the British-imposed division and occupation of that country. Thousands are standing up to say "no" to the systematic anti-Catholic discrimination and abuse perpetuated by the British government and its supporters. There are more demonstrations and actions against the imprisonment of hundreds of supporters of the struggle for Irish self- determination in British, Irish, U.S., and other jails.

Working people around the world can take inspiration from this upturn in the Irish freedom struggle and the weakening of British imperialism.

At the same time, the London government does not intend to give up its oldest colony easily. Just as the apartheid government in South Africa held on as long as possible, British imperialism will keep trying to hold back the course of history and make working people in Ireland pay as high a price as possible for winning their independence and sovereignty.

The U.S. government, while trying to wear the mantle of peace broker, has no love for the working-class fighters and youth who are the backbone of the Irish struggle. As U.S. businessmen try to take over a piece of the pie from their British rivals in Ireland, Washington's cops and courts continue their harassment, arrests, and deportation proceedings against Irish activists living in this country. Like their counterparts in London, the U.S. rulers fear the impetus a victory for the democratic movement in Ireland would give to other revolutionary struggles around the world.

Working people and all fighters for democratic rights should join with the democratic forces in Ireland demanding:

Free all Irish political prisoners!

Stop the deportations!

All-party peace talks now!

 
 
 
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