The need for Grassroots Anti-War activity and not an Anti-War Movement

Sunday January 19, 2003 19:47

by Akira

Over the last few months there have been several small demonstrations in Ireland against the latest capitalist war to be unleashed on the world. These demonstrations have mostly been localised to Dublin, with calls for a national demonstration going out nearly once a month. The major focus point for objection to this war in Ireland should be Shannon but certain groups and organisations have taken more of an interest in building the Anti-War Movement in Ireland by organising needless walkabouts around Dublin city centre. While these demonstrations may be in the city that the houses of power and corruption are in they are ultimately pointless.

Over the last few months there have been several small demonstrations in Ireland against the latest capitalist war to be unleashed on the world. These demonstrations have mostly been localised to Dublin, with calls for a national demonstration going out nearly once a month.

The major focus point for objection to this war in Ireland should be Shannon but certain groups and organisations have taken more of an interest in building the Anti-War Movement in Ireland by organising needless walkabouts around Dublin city centre. While these demonstrations may be in the city that the houses of power and corruption are in they are ultimately pointless.

The reason for this is:

1) It doesn't do anything to empower people beyond bringing them out for a Saturday afternoon to go for a walk around the city centre.

2) It doesn't involve much participation, people walk for an hour or so to stop and listen to the same oppurtunistic party leaders and elected "representative's" ramble on about fighting against the war.

3) It's a recruitment drive. Plain and simple. Some of the parties and organisations involved may want to build this "Anti-War Movement" but the number one plan is to recruit

4) It's a paper sale. That's right, we all know it by now, you walk around in the wind and rain (this is Ireland after all) just to find that you have to listen to another speaker and through all that you've had to deal with "Do you want to buy ********* ******, *****, etc... ( i censored those names, so not to cause to great offence)

So what's the answer?

We don't need this great Anti-War Movement, the Anti-War Movement they talk about is a just a big recruitment agency for some groups. As I said it also has no effect, it may make people feel like there part of something for the day but in the end when Joe Soap has stopped shouting into his megaphone it's off home, or worse still off to shop. Bull... Simple as that, that is bullshit.

It doesnt change a thing.

What we need is grassroots anti-war activity. All around the country no matter where we live, we should be planning a public meeting, setting up local anti-war groups, educating ourselves and educating our communities on how we are being lied to!

We need to have a Cork Anti War Alliance, Kildare Anti War Alliance, Mayo Anti War Alliance and so forth. These groups need to be independant, they need to be open, participatory, involving. They should not be dominated by some carreerist politician who has decided to jump on the bandwagon. They should not be dominated by some Dublin based group which says jump and it does it. No! They need to be autonomous but they also need to work together, a network is needed where grassroots anti-war activists from all over ireland can network and organise not to go to Dublin to listen to some carreerist politician or wannabe lenin but to go to Shannon or Derry to shut down places that have involvement in this capitalist war!

We need to focus our networked attention on Shannon, we dont need to go down there on a 3, 2, 1 hour trip to listen to Michael D trying to earn some points for his party! We need to go down there with the want to shut down Shannon. To block the terminals, block all traffic going in there and to invade those damned runways and tear open those damned hangers and make those capitalist bombers feel most definitely not welcome.

So let's do it!

Fuck signing petitions, forget listening to wannabe lenin's, washed up carreerist politicians, forget marching around dublin on a Saturday (when the dail doesnt even sit) demanding the nice politicians listen to the people they "serve".

Let's build a grassroots anti-war network, forget the anti-war movement, indymedia is just one powerful tool here we can network and get in contact with other groups why do we need a posted on O'Connell Street to tell us what to do?

Let's do it ourselves!!!