Turning Paper Promises Into Practical Politics.

In Blog, Politicsby Rashers Tierney6 Comments

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Eamonn McCann delivered this blazing speech at Saturday’s Dublin demonstration in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

The Derry firebrand, who came to prominence during the birth of the Northern Irish civil rights movement and the Derry Housing Action Committee, argued that Palestine was on the historic front line of global justice today.

Core to his  speech was how to make the BDS campaign take off:

“To make the boycott, divestment and sanctions campaign a reality, everybody who claims to be in favour of it must turn their policies into a practical action. I say that those councils, I welcome votes on every council north and south, to promote the Palestinian people and to support the boycott. They should each and every one, give instructions to their officials and employees when involved in procurement or the hiring of companies to supply services that they are not to touch with a bargepole any goods or services from Israel. That would make a reality of paper promises.”

After making connections with the Dunnes Stores strike he called on the union leadership to not leave workers isolated if they took action of their own violation saying the “boycott of Israel must not become the badge of radical respectability, we have to make it into the common sense of Irish politics.”

He closed by dismissing attempts to view the conflict as religious in origin and paid tribute to members of  Jewish Voice for Peace who were arrested outside the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia last Friday while voicing opposition to community leaders’ support for the Israeli war in Gaza among many others

Keep yer eye on the USI Ireland Youtube channel for more videos from demonstrations across the country.

Comments

  1. “If we collude in the oppression of Palestine then we have lost all moral credentials to oppose oppression and injustice here in Ireland or anywhere else”. Powerful rhetoric, in the positive use of the word.

  2. Isn’t it interesting how flippant Mark McCoy can be about the systematic extermination of an ancient Christian minority.
    Murdering Islamic fascists and Red Whingers are strange bedfellows….

  3. Pingback: After the Gaza Massacre and After the Marches, What Do We Do? | الحرب الطائفية في المملكة

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