Gery Lawless Archive | ETOL Main Page
From Socialist Worker, No. 113, 15 March 1969, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
PEOPLE’S DEMOCRACY, the militant organisation that shook the Northern Ireland Tories in the recent elections, is to stage a march from Belfast to Dublin this Easter in support of demands for civil rights in both parts of Ireland.
The march is expected to last five days. Plans were discussed last week at Queen’s University Belfast.
A PD statement issued later said: ‘We are opposed to Southern politicians using the Northern situation to direct attention from the failings of their own state.’
The statement stressed that objections to undemocratic laws in the south – such as anti-strike legislation, the banning of divorce, the prevention of the open sale of contraceptives and the privileged position of the Roman Catholic Church – does not only come from the Tory Unionists in the North.
On Sunday, PD confirmed that if the O’Neill government re-introduced the Public Order Amendment Bill, a protest march would be organised.
The Bill will make sitdowns and the occupation of public buildings, including universities,criminal offences, On Wednesday members of PD occupied the vacant top floor of a new block of offices for several hours. They were protesting against the building of prestige office blocks instead of houses.
British socialists who would like to join the Easter march should contact: Alan Morrison, 01-969 0915 or PD in Belfast, 0232 660861.
BIRMINGHAM:– At a meeting called by the Ad-hoc civil rights movement on Monday, Irish emigrants decided unanimously to take part in the Easter march from Belfast to Dublin. They will campaign to win further emigrant support in the city.
Last updated: 15 January 2021