Anti Racism Network

antrim | rights, freedoms and repression | opinion/analysis Sunday August 08, 2004 18:00 by Davy Carlin carlindavid at hotmail dot com

Update for Indymedia

The last two weeks has been an intense period for ARN activists.

The last two weeks has seen the ARN both at the forefront of the media and in activity. The recent situation of overt racial attacks as stated, has seen the ARN taking up the issues of the recent attacks, paramilitaries, the police, and the statutory bodies, with many having to wheel out their big guns to counter our points and issues raised.

The first issue was of the again attacks in the loyalist Village area of Donegal Road. The ARN again working with local trade unionists, community activists and the minority ethnic community within the area again sought to bring an end to the attacks. The ARN Chairperson in a very public event spoke from within the heart of the Village area as the Guest speaker. This against the attacks and in support of a festival to be launched again against racial attacks, this festival organised by the local community. While the ARN welcomed the event they stated that representatives, while their condemnation of such attacks was welcomed, they needed also to stand shoulder to shoulder with the minority ethnic community within the area.

The meeting held in the Greater Village Re generation Trust’s offices seen media attending from all over the country and further afield, such was the interest of the make up of the platform.

Yet while launching the festival and the seeking of public unity against the attacks the ARN sought as before a visual event. With the support of some community groups and trade unionists from within the area, and many more organisations from around the immediate area. We then sought to hold an event as before against the attacks as so both to give the community the opportunity not only to express their anger at the attacks but also to show solidarity for the victims of them.

With that we then had the support of our extensive network which includes the support of trade union councils and leading trade union branches, with then the support of major trades unions, and as before the support from the Irish Congress of Trade Unions forthcoming for our initiative. This was combined with the support of many other organisations and individuals.

With that support, the day before our joint press conference we called of the vigil, and I will go into the reasoning in the months ahead in Part two of the ARN - Entitled ' The ARN, a Movement', I will though say for now, that for the moment the attacks have all but ceased in that specific area but an extensive trade union based, and to an extent, a local community based network is now there for a collective response.

Also at this time we seen the 'Nigger' word used by an SDLP councillor {in a certain context} whom quite quickly made a full apology and retraction, again the ARN had called for such in a front page statement in the Belfast Telegraph.

Apart from speaking on the platform within the Village we also opened up the anti racism meeting on the Falls road attended by over 200 persons. We also launched a number of other well attended and well covered initiatives over the last two weeks, from street protest, to stalls, poster campaigns and speak outs etc.

We have also held our first ever Love Music Hate Racism {LMHR} - Anti Racism Network {ARN] joint gig in South Belfast's Empire Music Hall.

It was a case of standing room only to the back door. Many attended from the Network, representatives from minority ethnic organisations such as the African cultural and Chinese Welfare association. Human rights activists and human rights organisations from Amnesty International to the Equality commission, attended. As did rank and file trade union representatives from NIPSA to Unison, various grassroots community, women's and gay right campaigners also attended. Grassroots environmental, anti war, anti globalisation, community, solidarity, and campaign activists, where also joined by many people who came along to hear the bands, and to lend solidarity to the cause. So a broad collection of organisations and individuals lending support, with many people joining up to the network. A good night and thanks for all who came to lend support for the fundraiser.

So the last few weeks have been busy and it goes on, yesterday's front page of the South Belfast News for example had the ARN and a leading UUP man going head to head. Yet despite the huge local and indeed at times International media attention the ARN brings by its firm stands, the important issue for the ARN is of creating a community and trade union response against such racism. The broad front we initially created has helped create a network now that seeks to be a grassroots network that provides a practical, visual and collective stand, not only on large scale mobilisations but on a local level as we have done in both cases.


We have brought together, the minority ethnic organisations, human rights groups' grassroots environmental, anti war, anti globalisation, community, solidarity, women’s, community, student, gay and lesbian rights and campaign activists etc along side trade unionists, trades union councils, trade unions, and the trade union movement as a whole, to stand both against such attacks, those that give them succour, and those that feed of them.

Of course as I have stated before there are other organisations fighting against racism and fascism around the country, but I believe creating a united front of the above is the way in the long term to ensure victory against fascism. I have also stated that if such organisations seek to take to the streets in large scale then they need to be met on the streets in far larger scale. Yet when they are not visual on the streets, or they come in the night, then various strategies are needed to counter those certain situations to end the attacks thus given a breathing space to the minority ethnic communities. This while at the same time continuing to build up a substantial united network that can crush them if the seek to become visual.

Therefore those other organisations that are dealing with those racists and fascists that are openly organising outside of the areas that the ARN have established, that is to be welcomed, as our fight is the same. The difference I hold I have stated is tactical in that I do not believe a secret, covert, or 'private' campaign as some call it, is the way forward in the long term. Neither is an elitist attitude of we will go in an sort it out for you situation, {then go home for others to deal with the local repercussions, as we have seen across the water in the past, or of the victims asking or wondering as to why their neighbours will not support them, or of a community feeling dis empowered etc}.

I believe such a situation needs to be dealt with and come from within, and although given our situation in the North it can be difficult, it nevertheless needs to be and can be done. That is why as stated recently that the ARN with our support and connections within our ever expanding network are to host gigs and meetings in the weeks ahead to establish further local networks that can seek to mobilise a local 'community' from within and below, with support, if needs be, from the wider network

It sends a more powerful message if a 'community', with its trade unions etc is prepared to stand shoulder to shoulder with their neighbours who may have been victims of attacks. The message sent will be one to the victims of their neighbours standing in solidarity with them and of a community empowered and standing collectively against attacks.

This is what the ARN has sought, and has done to date in some areas, but this needs to be reflected across society, as we continually seek to do.

Finally it is important that all anti racism and anti fascism activists and organisations see that of racism and fascism as the problem and not the tactical difference of each differing campaign. I am glad to say given the history of many similar campaigns or parities seeing each other as a greater 'threat' than the actual problem, that I have only encountered one left organisation whose hatred of oneself was so open and obvious that on several different occasions I had to be informed of such {in very recent times} as persons could not believe what they had heard or seen. {This when we where meant to be fighting on the same issue}

As stated this will make up a large part to my 'practical' experience of Democratic Centralism in an article in the time ahead, and whom {that organisation } are now irrelevant to me and to a large extent to the {Belfast SWP} and to those campaigns we are involved in, as genuine non party aligned activists had seen and had wanted nothing of it, or them. I will record such though as so persons can look back and attempt to learn lessons, if they wish.

I will say though I am looking forward to the debate on tactics on the 14th August in Derry. I will be speaking for the ARN and others include AFA, Residents against Racism and Fascist Out. I welcome the opportunity to hear exactly what such organisations are about rather that what others say they about .Similarly I hope they listen to what we are about as opposed as to what others {I know} have and do say about the ARN.

Until then D.