The Militant (logo) 
Vol.64/No.7      February 21, 2000 
 
 
UK troops: leave Ireland!  
{editorial} 
 
 
Britain should get its troops, cops, and secret police out of Ireland now. That should be the demand of every working person, union member, and farmer, especially in the United Kingdom and the United States.

Leave Ireland. Respect its independence and sovereignty. Tell the truth about the decades-long war to suppress the freedom struggle. Anything short of that will continually result in political and social crises and make talk of "peace" nothing more than ashes in the mouth.

London's moves to throw out the Good Friday agreement establishing the Northern Ireland assembly and a range of other governmental structures there and its arrogant demands that the Irish Republican Army begin handing over weapons show that the British imperialists consider Northern Ireland their own, no matter what their representatives sign their name to.

London can't get around two interrelated facts: the struggles of the Irish people are taking steps forward and, as they proceed, the ability of the oppressors to, as Gerry Adams said, "demonize" the Catholic population is undercut.

The mobilizations over the past two weeks, as well as the actions by working farmers across the entire country, are an indication of the ways working people and those standing up for a united Ireland are finding to press forward the struggle. The growing confidence of tens of thousands is evident in these actions, a bad sign for London and the unionist parties in the north.

Their actions, and refusal to accept the high dictates of imperial London, strengthen the hand of working people throughout the (not so) United Kingdom. Organizing in the coming weeks to show solidarity with the fight for a united, democratic Ireland is crucial as the British rulers ratchet up the pressure on the struggle.  
 
 
Front page (for this issue) | Home | Text-version home