Leonard Peltier Defense committee update
Byrnzie
Posts: 21,037
In my last report, I detailed a few of the many similarities that exist between the Irish people and Native Americans. The similarities easily extend to our current conflicts and struggles. Perhaps the greatest comparison to illustrate this point would be 'Sectarian Triumphalism.' As many of you are or should be aware, Colorado AIM has engaged in non-stop protests to put an end once and for all to Columbus Day parades and celebrations. The answer why they continue to attempt to do so has been detailed in numerous writings. The short version of the answer, at least in my view, is 'Sectarian Triumphalism.' Likewise, the north eastern six counties in Ireland, known as 'Northern Ireland' to the reigning British establishment, witnesses the same kind of Triumphalism on its streets every year in July and August. Those two summer months are known with disdain and contempt simply as 'The Marching Season.'
In 1689 at the Battle of the Boyne, King William of Orange, a Protestant, defeated a Catholic King. The sight of the battle is about thirty minutes drive from where I am writing this report. The facts of the battle have been glossed over in order to give one section of society a presumed feeling of superiority over another. Protestant/ pro-British/ 'Loyalists' celebrate the victory, naming their fraternal orders as 'The Orange Order.' Ironically, that kind of school yard taunting seems absurd when taken into account the fact that the Protestant king's army and expedition was financed by the Pope. Even more ridiculous is the fact that the Catholic king was fighting on behalf of England. How the Protestant/ pro-British faction can extract superiority from that is a mystery to me and most people with an IQ. Nevertheless, they march every year to commemorate the battle. It is the proverbial and juvenile 'nanny nanny boo-boo' bedecked in orange sashes, bowler hats, marching bands and big bass drums. The worst part, and the main source of contention, is that they intentionally route their marches through Catholic neighbourhoods. Not surprisingly, the practise has resulted in many riots and conflicts over the last thirty years. Riots have lasted for days and even weeks. Barricades have been put up with ensuing standoffs which have resulted in the British Army being called in on numerous occasions. Hence, Sectarian Triumphalism is alive and well in the north of Ireland.
The first major conflict arising from the marching season occurred in Derry on August 12-14, 1969 in what is now known as the 'Battle of the Bogside.' Just the name 'Derry' indicates how a person butters their political bread. To the Irish/ Catholic/ Nationalists it is called by its traditional name of 'Derry', which comes from the Gaelic word 'Doire' meaning 'Oak'. To the Protestant/pro-Brit/Loyalists the city is called 'Londonderry'. I guess that would translate to 'London oak,' which makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever. In August of '69, the nationalist (which refers to the desire to see Ireland as a unified and independent nation; hence 'nationalist') Bogside residents in Derry fought tooth and nail and Molotov cocktail to repel the loyalist (loyal to the British Crown) Apprentice Boys from marching through their community in commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne. The regional police were called in, barricades were erected and enforced and the 'Battle of the Bogside' was begun. It ended three days later when the British Army were called in to intervene, but not before police had thrown over 1,000 canisters of CS gas into the crowd of protestors.
Three years later in 1972, the Bogside community was once again put on the world map when one of the most tragic occurrences in modern times took place. The event is known simply as 'Bloody Sunday.' Bloody Sunday was the result of a calculated and strategically organized assault by the British Army on over 1,000 protestors in a peaceful demonstration organized by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. By the end of the day, the army was responsible for the deaths of 14 people, six of whom were only 17 years old. The Army claimed they were going after the IRA, despite the fact that the IRA was approached by the NICRA and asked not to interfere with their peaceful demonstration. The IRA agreed, and this has been attested to by IRA leaders of the day in recent years. What's ironic is that, while no IRA members were involved in the protest, the result of the British assault and resulting murders were an unprecedented recruiting coup for the IRA. More men, women and teenagers lined up to join the IRA after Bloody Sunday than at any other time. So, in a very real way the British gave them the victory. In the three years before Bloody Sunday, 210 people were killed. By contrast, 445 people died within the eleven months immediately after Bloody Sunday.
The people of Derry have struggled and suffered. As such, they can very easily understand and identify with other struggling people. The best example of which is a local Derry activist by the name of Liam McConway. Mr. McConway read in the 'Daily Ireland' Leonard Peltier's statement in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the hunger strikes in 1981. Immediately afterwards, he sent me an e-mail asking how he could help. It only takes one person with enough incentive to get up and say 'How can I help' in order to make a difference. Mr. McConway personifies the notion that everyone has something that they can do. Liam e-mailed me and from our subsequent correspondence organized a film showing of Incident at Oglala for me.
What resulted in Mr. McConway's initiative was three eventful days that I spent in Derry, as the guest of many of the people who've lived and suffered through the worst of their troubled city's tumultuous past. I was given a tour of the Bogside, followed by me being shown the places were people ran during the attack on Bloody Sunday. I was shown the exact spot were people died, both in Bloody Sunday and in British brutality in the years that followed. I was profoundly moved by seeing such scenes. I was taken from the Bogside to Derry's overfilled cemetery where I was shown the graves of former IRA combatants who were killed in action. I was also shown the graves of many innocent victims, some as young as 14 years old, who were killed by the British Army in the past 30 years. I then spent the day visiting with some of Derry's finest; people like William McGuinness and Brian Power. Both of these individuals are former political prisoners, incarcerated on multiple occasions for their involvement with the IRA in Derry.
What I found while visiting with these people, sitting in their homes and spending time with their families, was not the notion of the cold-blooded and ruthless 'terrorists' that we read about and see in movies. These were not sadists, nor were they psychopaths. One of the guys I talked to who'd been incarcerated for IRA activity in Derry was a survivor of Bloody Sunday. Dennis McFeeley watched his best friend become one of the fourteen people who died that day. He, like scores of others, joined the IRA immediately after. I had the sincere privilege of getting to know several people, former political prisoners for IRA involvement, who were some of the most genuine and decent people I've ever come across. I sat in the home of Brian Power and his wife while holding their newborn baby granddaughter. I was introduced to the daughters and a son of William McGuinness, and I was made to feel very much at home by so many others who are unfairly referred to as 'terrorists'. In my view, they rose to the call to defend their communities when it was needed and, in so doing, demonstrate yet one more commonality on the long list of similarities Irish people have with Native Americans. Always, people, some of whom have done 16-20 years in prison, asked me with true concern and understanding "How's Leonard?"
Needless to say, the showing of 'Incident' in Derry as well as the speaking I did afterwards was very well attended and received. The Derry Journal was on-hand to cover the event. The event was held in one of the two pubs owned by William McGuinness, brother of Sinn Fein Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness. Through William, a meeting was set-up for me and Martin McGuinness. Liam McConway not only attended the meeting, but made arrangements for William to set up the meeting. What was originally supposed to be a twenty minute meeting turned into forty-five minutes. Martin McGuinness had only flown back to Ireland the night before, arriving after midnight. Yet, he made time to meet with me and Liam early Saturday morning. In addition, he was the nicest person I think I've ever met in my life!!!!!
Liam McConway went beyond inviting me to come up to Derry and then serving as an excellent host and tour guide. He organized for us to hold the event in William McGuinness' pub, which William agreed to do for no charge. At the event, everyone chipped in. Former political prisoner Charlie McMennamen from Belfast donated an original poster from the 1981 hunger strike for the event. Brian Power, his daughter Michelle, Dennis McFeeley and many former prisoners, Sinn Fein members and life-long activists all came out and helped with the event. All of them said the same thing. "We understand what's been done to Leonard Peltier and your people. We've been going through the same thing here and know the story all to well. We're the same." The outpouring of comradely solidarity was enough to make anyone feel emotional. I am very proud to be able to list the above names as friends, in addition to supporters of Leonard Peltier, after my weekend in Derry. I have to repeat that they are some of the most genuine and hospitable people I've met in a long time.
I want to thank everyone for the help and friendship they showed me while I was in Derry, as well as for the enormous outpouring of support and solidarity they showed and continue to show Leonard Peltier. I have received the same level of support by republicans in Belfast, including former hunger striker and accomplished author Laurence McKeown. In my next update, I will detail my trip to Belfast. I will also fill you all in on some exciting news that will hopefully result in an official resolution in support of Leonard Peltier by Gerry Adams personally, and Sinn Fein as a whole, in March.
Please click here for photographs:
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/worldevents/ireland.htm
Dave Bailey- natsitsa@yahoo.com
Northern Cheyenne
LPDC Representative for Ireland and England
In 1689 at the Battle of the Boyne, King William of Orange, a Protestant, defeated a Catholic King. The sight of the battle is about thirty minutes drive from where I am writing this report. The facts of the battle have been glossed over in order to give one section of society a presumed feeling of superiority over another. Protestant/ pro-British/ 'Loyalists' celebrate the victory, naming their fraternal orders as 'The Orange Order.' Ironically, that kind of school yard taunting seems absurd when taken into account the fact that the Protestant king's army and expedition was financed by the Pope. Even more ridiculous is the fact that the Catholic king was fighting on behalf of England. How the Protestant/ pro-British faction can extract superiority from that is a mystery to me and most people with an IQ. Nevertheless, they march every year to commemorate the battle. It is the proverbial and juvenile 'nanny nanny boo-boo' bedecked in orange sashes, bowler hats, marching bands and big bass drums. The worst part, and the main source of contention, is that they intentionally route their marches through Catholic neighbourhoods. Not surprisingly, the practise has resulted in many riots and conflicts over the last thirty years. Riots have lasted for days and even weeks. Barricades have been put up with ensuing standoffs which have resulted in the British Army being called in on numerous occasions. Hence, Sectarian Triumphalism is alive and well in the north of Ireland.
The first major conflict arising from the marching season occurred in Derry on August 12-14, 1969 in what is now known as the 'Battle of the Bogside.' Just the name 'Derry' indicates how a person butters their political bread. To the Irish/ Catholic/ Nationalists it is called by its traditional name of 'Derry', which comes from the Gaelic word 'Doire' meaning 'Oak'. To the Protestant/pro-Brit/Loyalists the city is called 'Londonderry'. I guess that would translate to 'London oak,' which makes absolutely no sense what-so-ever. In August of '69, the nationalist (which refers to the desire to see Ireland as a unified and independent nation; hence 'nationalist') Bogside residents in Derry fought tooth and nail and Molotov cocktail to repel the loyalist (loyal to the British Crown) Apprentice Boys from marching through their community in commemoration of the Battle of the Boyne. The regional police were called in, barricades were erected and enforced and the 'Battle of the Bogside' was begun. It ended three days later when the British Army were called in to intervene, but not before police had thrown over 1,000 canisters of CS gas into the crowd of protestors.
Three years later in 1972, the Bogside community was once again put on the world map when one of the most tragic occurrences in modern times took place. The event is known simply as 'Bloody Sunday.' Bloody Sunday was the result of a calculated and strategically organized assault by the British Army on over 1,000 protestors in a peaceful demonstration organized by the Northern Ireland Civil Rights Association. By the end of the day, the army was responsible for the deaths of 14 people, six of whom were only 17 years old. The Army claimed they were going after the IRA, despite the fact that the IRA was approached by the NICRA and asked not to interfere with their peaceful demonstration. The IRA agreed, and this has been attested to by IRA leaders of the day in recent years. What's ironic is that, while no IRA members were involved in the protest, the result of the British assault and resulting murders were an unprecedented recruiting coup for the IRA. More men, women and teenagers lined up to join the IRA after Bloody Sunday than at any other time. So, in a very real way the British gave them the victory. In the three years before Bloody Sunday, 210 people were killed. By contrast, 445 people died within the eleven months immediately after Bloody Sunday.
The people of Derry have struggled and suffered. As such, they can very easily understand and identify with other struggling people. The best example of which is a local Derry activist by the name of Liam McConway. Mr. McConway read in the 'Daily Ireland' Leonard Peltier's statement in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the hunger strikes in 1981. Immediately afterwards, he sent me an e-mail asking how he could help. It only takes one person with enough incentive to get up and say 'How can I help' in order to make a difference. Mr. McConway personifies the notion that everyone has something that they can do. Liam e-mailed me and from our subsequent correspondence organized a film showing of Incident at Oglala for me.
What resulted in Mr. McConway's initiative was three eventful days that I spent in Derry, as the guest of many of the people who've lived and suffered through the worst of their troubled city's tumultuous past. I was given a tour of the Bogside, followed by me being shown the places were people ran during the attack on Bloody Sunday. I was shown the exact spot were people died, both in Bloody Sunday and in British brutality in the years that followed. I was profoundly moved by seeing such scenes. I was taken from the Bogside to Derry's overfilled cemetery where I was shown the graves of former IRA combatants who were killed in action. I was also shown the graves of many innocent victims, some as young as 14 years old, who were killed by the British Army in the past 30 years. I then spent the day visiting with some of Derry's finest; people like William McGuinness and Brian Power. Both of these individuals are former political prisoners, incarcerated on multiple occasions for their involvement with the IRA in Derry.
What I found while visiting with these people, sitting in their homes and spending time with their families, was not the notion of the cold-blooded and ruthless 'terrorists' that we read about and see in movies. These were not sadists, nor were they psychopaths. One of the guys I talked to who'd been incarcerated for IRA activity in Derry was a survivor of Bloody Sunday. Dennis McFeeley watched his best friend become one of the fourteen people who died that day. He, like scores of others, joined the IRA immediately after. I had the sincere privilege of getting to know several people, former political prisoners for IRA involvement, who were some of the most genuine and decent people I've ever come across. I sat in the home of Brian Power and his wife while holding their newborn baby granddaughter. I was introduced to the daughters and a son of William McGuinness, and I was made to feel very much at home by so many others who are unfairly referred to as 'terrorists'. In my view, they rose to the call to defend their communities when it was needed and, in so doing, demonstrate yet one more commonality on the long list of similarities Irish people have with Native Americans. Always, people, some of whom have done 16-20 years in prison, asked me with true concern and understanding "How's Leonard?"
Needless to say, the showing of 'Incident' in Derry as well as the speaking I did afterwards was very well attended and received. The Derry Journal was on-hand to cover the event. The event was held in one of the two pubs owned by William McGuinness, brother of Sinn Fein Chief Negotiator Martin McGuinness. Through William, a meeting was set-up for me and Martin McGuinness. Liam McConway not only attended the meeting, but made arrangements for William to set up the meeting. What was originally supposed to be a twenty minute meeting turned into forty-five minutes. Martin McGuinness had only flown back to Ireland the night before, arriving after midnight. Yet, he made time to meet with me and Liam early Saturday morning. In addition, he was the nicest person I think I've ever met in my life!!!!!
Liam McConway went beyond inviting me to come up to Derry and then serving as an excellent host and tour guide. He organized for us to hold the event in William McGuinness' pub, which William agreed to do for no charge. At the event, everyone chipped in. Former political prisoner Charlie McMennamen from Belfast donated an original poster from the 1981 hunger strike for the event. Brian Power, his daughter Michelle, Dennis McFeeley and many former prisoners, Sinn Fein members and life-long activists all came out and helped with the event. All of them said the same thing. "We understand what's been done to Leonard Peltier and your people. We've been going through the same thing here and know the story all to well. We're the same." The outpouring of comradely solidarity was enough to make anyone feel emotional. I am very proud to be able to list the above names as friends, in addition to supporters of Leonard Peltier, after my weekend in Derry. I have to repeat that they are some of the most genuine and hospitable people I've met in a long time.
I want to thank everyone for the help and friendship they showed me while I was in Derry, as well as for the enormous outpouring of support and solidarity they showed and continue to show Leonard Peltier. I have received the same level of support by republicans in Belfast, including former hunger striker and accomplished author Laurence McKeown. In my next update, I will detail my trip to Belfast. I will also fill you all in on some exciting news that will hopefully result in an official resolution in support of Leonard Peltier by Gerry Adams personally, and Sinn Fein as a whole, in March.
Please click here for photographs:
http://www.leonardpeltier.net/worldevents/ireland.htm
Dave Bailey- natsitsa@yahoo.com
Northern Cheyenne
LPDC Representative for Ireland and England
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