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From Socialist Worker, No. 114, 22 March 1969, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
SIX RIGHT-WING leaders of the Irish Civil Rights movement have resigned in an attempt to split the campaign and forestall a swing in favour of more militant policies.
MPs John Hume and Ivan Cooper have quit as chairman and vice-chairman of the Derry Citizen’s Action Committee. Both will remain on the committee.
The other four, headed by Irish Communist Party leader Betty Sinclair, have resigned from the executive of the, Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association, alleging that it had been taken over by the People’s Democracy.
This claim was described as ‘absolute nonsense’ by Michael Farrell. He said the PD members, himself and Kevin Boyle, were democratically elected at CRA’s annual meeting last month.
The real reason for the resignations is that the rank and file of the movement, sick and tired of the excuses of Sinclair and company for not organising any action since last summer to push their demands, have swung behind the militant PD policies.
Last week, PD announced plans for a march to parliament on March 29 to protest against the Public Order Bill. Last Saturday’s CRA meeting agreed to jointly sponsor the demonstration in spite of Sinclair and her supporters.
Rather than accept the decision, they resigned, hoping to split and wreck the movement.
If there is no compromise with these elements, the way is now clear to commit CRA to a programme of street struggle in alliance with PD.
The resignations on the same day of Hume and Cooper can be seen as acts of self-defence. Both men have lost popularity in Derry since their election to parliament last month.
The Derry Labour Party decided to organise a mass defiance of the Public Order Bill when it goes through Stormont. Both Hume and Cooper were opposed to the Citizen’s Action Committee joining but they feared that an open refusal on their part would mean a loss of support for their middle of the road committee.
By stepping down they hope to ride the wave until – as they think – the present militancy has passed.
Last updated: 15 January 2021