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Racism
Any discussion of Racism needs to examine the roots of Racism in
order to understand it and to struggle against it effectively. There
are basically 3 explanations for the existence of racism.
Racism: Where it comes from, How we should fight it?
With racism on the rise in Ireland, it has become more important than ever for anti-racist activists to examine where such ideas come from and how they can be fought. In this article, the South African anarchist organisation, the WSF, puts forward its view that the fight against racism and the class-struggle are inextricably linked.
Irish travellers are an ethnic minority who are culturally separate to the rest of Irish society. Because they are white and most of the are Irish, people reject the idea that the concept of racism applies to them. However an examination of policies and practises operated by the state and by non-state bodies clearly shows that it is racism that defines these policies and practises.
Employment Equality Bill [1997]
The Employment Equality Bill effectively gives schools and hospitals which are controlled by either of the churches the right to discriminate on the basis of marital status, family/parental status, sexual orientation, race, religion or membership of the Traveller Community
Anarchism: A history of anti-racism
A history of anarchist involvement in the fight against racism
Patricia McCarthy examines the history of Irish Travellers' struggle for civil rights and ethnic recognition. Their struggles have much in common with those of Indigenous people worldwide and with the struggles of Native Americans and Australian Aboriginals and also with the struggles of Gypsies, Travellers and nomads against racism and oppression.
Travellers are a distinct "ethnic" group with their own traditions and customs. Very few people want to accept that they are. This reflects the widespread racism towards them, a racism which insists on seeing them as "failed settled people".
Racism in Ireland : Travellers [1993]
Very few groups or individuals on the left in Ireland understand that the situation of Travellers is the most explicit form of racism in this country. Because Travellers are white, people have difficulty applying the concept of racism to them.
A taste of 1960's Mississipi in 1990's Ireland [1994]
The attack on Travellers in Glenamaddy, Co Galway last October was a shocking exposure of the extent of the racist attitudes that Irish people have towards Travellers.
Anti-Traveller thuggary on increase [1995]
Over the past year, there has been a series of physical attacks on Travellers in different parts of the country. Travellers were attacked in Glenamaddy in New Ross, Wicklow and Bantry.
Stand up for Travellers Rights [1995]
Three decades of polite appeals to 'liberal' politicians have changed little for Travellers. It is up to anti-racists, trade unionists and other ordinary working class people to join with Travellers and deal a crushing blow to the politics of discrimination.
Travellers March against Shanty Towns [1996]
Travellers and their supporters held a protest on December 10th last year. The march was against the Dublin local authorities' policy of herding Travellers into primitive temporary sites and forced removal of Travellers into these officially constructed shanty towns.
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see articles at
Fascist terror grows across Europe [1992]
Today the fascists are not on the way to taking state power anywhere in the world. However this does not mean that they can be safely ignored. Tapping into widespread discontent, they are providing the leadership and stimulus for growing racist hatred and terror. Should they continue to grow they will pose a major threat to all working class and left-wing organisations.
Can the European fascists take power in the 1990s? [1993]
THE GROWTH of the far-right throughout Europe in the last few years has alarmed many who thought fascism died with Hitler. It also has given rise to a debate on the left over the nature of fascism, one that has spilled over into the letters pages of Workers Solidarity. The debate continues with Andrew Flood discussing some of the historical features of fascism and the importance of racism as the central plank of fascism to-day.
The fight against fascism...yesterday and tomorrow [1997]
On February 15th, the 'Plume Noire' anarchist bookstore was plastered with fascist stickers. At around 5am the bookshop was completely destroyed in an obviously well orchestrated incendiary attack.
Rostock recently became infamous as we all witnessed pictures of the Neo-Nazi youth hurling petrol bombs at the asylum hostel containing mostly Bulgarian and Romanian refugees. One local activist in Germany reported the following. " On Sunday night, a line of riot police could not prevent a second night of attacks, this time by nazi youths armed with molotov cocktails"
Fighting fascism can not be done just in terms of ideas. Fascists do not wait until they have convinced a sufficient number of people to put their ideas into power before they put their ideas into practise. Even tiny groups of a dozen or less organise and carry out terror attacks on those they oppose or scapegoat. Only physical confrontation can deter and prevent these activities
