Socialist Appeal - International Marxist Tendency
Marxism. Socialism. Revolution.
Shortly after midday on 29th June, an eleven person jury delivered 6 unanimous verdicts of “not guilty” to spontaneous cheers in the courtroom at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court. The verdict brings to its conclusion a trial by means of which the Irish ruling class sought to bring an end to the fundamental democratic right to peaceful protest.
110 years ago, in 1907, a strike in Belfast over wages by dockworkers, coal labourers and others united both catholics and protestants against the ruthless bosses. Although ultimately defeated, the strike remains an important historical demonstration of the power of the working class when united.
The power-sharing deal in the North of Ireland, established with the Good Friday Agreement, has broken down. The old system of rule no longer works, an indication of the pressures that flow from the economic crisis. Gerry Ruddy looks at why and how this has come about.
Bus drivers in Ireland have reacted to attacks by the bosses with fierce militancy. Their struggle is a clear indication of the anger building up across Ireland. As cracks open up in the Fine Gael-led coalition government over everything from water charges to police corruption, it is evident that this weak and divided government can be brought down.
Gerry Ruddy looks back at the life of Martin McGuinness, the former Provisional IRA leader, head of Sinn Féin in the North of Ireland, and Deputy First Minister in the Stormont Assembly, who passed away last week. McGuinness' death comes at a turbulent time for the North of Ireland, as all the old divisions threaten to re-emerge in the wake of Brexit.