Internalvnhl Irish Women

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The British speaking tour of members in exile of the Turkish trade union mu iic iunta's jails. Contact: Turker seorin conraer meeting joined the call for liberty for the 52 DISK leaders now on trial and ional Women's Day in a country where women are doubly oppressed.

They are not only oppressed by the sexism and capitalism which dominates Western Europe, they are also oppressed by the full weight of British imperialsim and all the chauvinistic and masculine values which that imperialism embodies.

Our initial reaction to the border was one of horror. We approached it from the South, and the beauty of the landscape was wrenched into perspective by the line of Saracens and the heavily fortified tower.

The border defines the reality of Northern Ireland, not only for the women and men who are actively involved in the armed struggle, but for everyone who lives in the Six Counties or travels into them like ourselves.

Saracens and a rifle The Britz recognise this, and it is forbidden to take photographs of the Army and their 'defences' • A photograph would have shown the Saracens, the tower, and the Brit pointing a rifle at us.

Our impressions of the border were still vivid when we entered Belfast. It is a small city and reminded us of many working class towns that we have seen in the North of England. There are two basic differ• ences.

1: DISA. ades Union 'ousands in Over recent years, the delegation to Armagh Gaol in Northern Ireland, where women Republican prisoners are held, has become a major International Women's Day event. Angela Birtill and Alison Court went this year, and came back with some vivid impression.

The poverty is stark and uncompromising. The narrow streets and the rows of terraced houses evoke images of the Thirties. The open spaces are derelict and the paving stones cracked and uneven.

It is worth remembering that Northern Ireland has the highest rate of unemployment in the United Kingdom. It is also worth remembering • that this Kingdom is far from united.

The second difference is the army of occupation. There can be no doubt that it is an army of occupation.

The Britz are alienated and isolated from the rest of the community. They patrol it like a minefield, and their weak footprints are an indelible stain on the consciousness of the population.

Our coach meandered through the streets until we arrived at the Pass N Grove Community Centre in Beechmount. As we climbed down from the coach, men and women rushed out from the Community Centre with cups of tea and sandwiches.

It was an incredibly warm welcome, and it was in brilliant contrast to our early experience at the border.

We were taken from Pass N Grove to the Sinn Fein Centre on Falls Road. The welcomes continued and we were told that a mural had been painted to celebrate our visit. The walls and gable-ends in the Republican area of West Belfast are covered with the most intricate and colourful paintings.

The artists are youths who attempt to defend their handiwork from the Britz. Within days of our visit the mural will have been ruined.

The Britz pick up the youths for questioning. The youths are questioning the right of the Britz to occupy their country.

In their osence the ural will be bombed wit acid. Initially, the Britz used paint, but the youths began to glaze the murals, making it easier to get rid of the paint. Acid burns through the glazing The Sinn Fein Centre is heavily defended against attack. Periodically the Britz tear down the wire fencing and the Centre is fire-bombed by loyalists.

•We were assigned to our billets at the Sinn Fein Centre, and warned against straying .. into the Loyalist areas of Belfast.

It was made clear to us that although we would learn a great deal from talking to the Loyalists, we were also likely to get our throats cut. We would not be attacked because of our political differences with the Loyalists, but because we were different.

The Loyalist community is insular and paranoid, and the descriptions reminded us of the Afrikaanin South Africa. It constantly surprised us that the Republicans we spoke to went to great lengths to stress that they harboured no personal differences against the Loyalists.

The reality of Loyalist Supremacy, as practised by their working class supporters, was seen as something that was worthy of mourning and pity rather than hatred.

Our hosts, Janice and Joe Austin, reiterated this final point when we arrived at their house, a minute terraced home, where they live with their five children and Janice's brother. It amazed us that Janice had agreed to put us up for the weekend, but the warmth and sense of purpose that motivated the household soon made it apparent that our fears were unjustified.

Initially it was difficult and almost unreal for us to adapt to the army of occupation. To see the Britz darting from street corner see: corner on their := - see he Saracens *tis with all the arrogance of male punters in Soho, to see the squaddies leering at the women and spitting their contempt at the children and the youths.

We were told that the black squaddies are always made to sit in the rear of the Saracens, and to bring up the rear of a street patrol, as these are the positions where a soldier is more likely to be shot. Our own observations confirmed this. The oppression is piled thick, layer upon layer, like an obscene sandwich of hatred and self-loathing.

The reality of Brit oppression also borders on the ridiculous. To enable two RUC men to walk into a Republican area, at least six Brit soldiers are needed as chaperones, surrounding and protecting the RUC from the community that they are supposed to police.

Harassed for wearing the wrong scarf The dogs bark at the patrols, and there is complex but effective warn ing system that is user whenever the Britz enter i Republican area. It is wortł noting that not only Repub licans are at risk from the Britz.

Youths have been beater up for wearing the wrong colour of football scarf women have been assault ed for being alone, si children have been killer by plastic bullets. The Brit: also shoot dogs, and Janic and Joe were quick to brin their dog into the hous whenever the Britz were il the vicinity.

It was frightening for ou delegation to experience a first hand the intimidation used by the RUC and thi Britz.

The RUC met our coac both going into and out o Belfast, our bags wer searched and the poster that we had bought wer confiscated.

We emerged from Community Centre at nigh to suddenly find a rifl literally under our noses The street lamps are espec ially subdued to facilitat the Brit patrols, and w could just make out th squaddie's grin as we re