Reaction on the march
Socialist Organiser1981 1981-11-26Read it in the scan (PDF), scan page 1 →
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BETWEEN 75% and 90% of industry in N. Ireland stopped work on Monday 23rd during arch-bigot lan Paisley's day of action. Perhaps 10,000 members of Paisley's 'third force' many wearing uniforms and masks and carrying pick-axe handles, marched military-style in Newtownards for Paisley's final rally.
Paisley's Newtownards demonstration was announced weeks ago. But the killing of Robert Bradford MP — like a calculated blow on a raw nerve - turned the 'day of action' into a tremendous outpouring of Orange resentment, anger, bewilderment, and anti-Catholic bigotry. On Tuesday 17th a rash of strikes and commemoration service demonstrations involving tens of thousands had marked the burial of Bradford.
The different Orange factions had opposed the Paisley-initiated 'day of action - but they came into line. Shipyard workers struck against the advice of their stewards. Paisleyism is in the ascendancy.
Paisley has announced a drive to recruit 100,000 to his private army. To do what? The sectarian agitator spelled it. He demanded that the British government legitimise his Protestant vigilantes by declaring them part of the security forces'. 'If you fail to recruit them', he said, we will have one decision to make - to do it ourselves' That is a threat to go on the offensive against the Catholics - lynching suspected Republicans, patrolling Catholic areas and, they hope, in alliance with the British Army, inflicting a reign of terror on the Catholics.
Yet Paisley's third force, which can draw on tens of thousands of Protestants who legally hold guns, is allowed to organise itself legally by the British government.
The N.Ireland Catholics are in serious danger of pogroms and mass assassinations. Socialists in Britain must support them and those defending the Catholic ghettoes against both Orange pogromists and the British Army.
Most strikers expect receive a sacking threat the next few days. Before that happens the strike must be spread to the rest o -Longbridge and then to the rest of the Combine.
BL have deliberately helt back from implementing 25% reduction in relaxation allowance that sparked But all BL should realise tha Longbridge strike is the other plants w ly have the imposed sooner or Despite the attempt to trivialise issue as a tea break strike the issues at stake are impo Continued, p. 15
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siest Offs. Thursday November 26, 1981 Page 2
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-Longbridge dispute, where in the Combine.