Up to 23 people were arrested in Liverpool last Saturday after a British extremist group crashed a parade to commemorate the life of James Larkin, an Irish trade union leader and socialist activist.
The anti racism and fascism march was organized by the James Larkin Society and was led by the Liverpool Irish Patriots Republican Flute Band.
In the days leading up to the march, the far right group had branded the parade as an IRA march and urged protesters to oppose and confront “Irish republicanism in the city of Liverpool.”
“Over the past several years the city of Liverpool and north west england has seen the rise of anti-British feeling projected on them by immigrant families from the Republic of Ireland,” the poster read.
The Irish Times reports that the majority of the protesters were young, male, and tattooed. Some of them were locals, others appeared to have travelled especially for the day.
“F*** off back to Ireland, ye murdering bastards,” one male protestor screamed, before he was later arrested.
At a further point in the parade a group chanted, “Rule Britannia”, or “No surrender to the IRA”.
Despite the anti-Irish sentiment, the majority of those participating in the parade were not Irish.
“One Muslim man in his early 20s sighed in despair as he was accused by an obese black teenager of being “an IRA murdering scum,”” the newspaper reported.
Jane Calveley, a member of the UK’s largest public sector union, Unison, told The Irish Times: “This has come as a bit of a shock, it was always such a peaceful event. It has nothing to do with the IRA. I’m actually Jewish, anyway.”
Alec McFadden, president of the Merseyside Trade Union Congress (TUC) and anti-fascist campaigner, told the Liverpool Echo: “Today was all about celebrating one of the main trade unionists James Larkin.
“What shocked us was the number of people who came from outside Merseyside with the idea it was something to do with the IRA, it wasn’t.
“The police did a very good job in very difficult circumstances to ensure the march went ahead peacefully.
“I intend to write a report to the leaders of the council because of the influx of people from outside Merseyside who came to try to interfere with the march.”
Merseyside Police told the newspaper that 23 men and three women were arrested for minor public order offences.
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.curtisjohnson | Aug 04, 2012, 11:48 PM EDT
Westbrits like ciaradexy only have an objection when people don't like the british.
ciaradexy | Jul 31, 2012, 03:16 PM EDT
Who really cares? Some people dont like the Irish, some dont like Muslims, some dont like Jews and some dont like Americans. Get over yourselves!
seanomelb | Jul 26, 2012, 09:11 PM EDT
I have read a number of articles on Gortz and never heard derogatory remark made by him. The Irish government took him and the IRA very seriously during ww2. Imprisoning him Mountjoy from where he escaped and was hidden by the IRA.BTW his second contact in Ireland was the daughter of Maude Gonne.
citizen69 | Jul 26, 2012, 06:08 PM EDT
@sirpeter: Major Hermann Goertz was the chief Nazi spy parachuted into Ireland. In his reports discovered in Germany he describes the IRA as: "Rotten at its roots … an occasionally willing but generally unreliable guerrilla movement that caused more concern to the Irish government that it did to the British... riddled with informers and led by drunks".
sirpeter | Jul 26, 2012, 04:24 PM EDT
citizen69.Let's be having your source????I'm aware of the plan "Kathleen" by IRA Chief of Staff,Sean Russell.I'm not aware that the German high command considered them unreliable drunks though.Can you furnish me with those exact words?Or are you a liar?
sirpeter | Jul 26, 2012, 03:33 PM EDT
FallsRNat.Seamus I know I didn't keep your imagination in order for a while.But "genocide against border protestants?"lolololol.It's winter in Aussieland at the moment where you are now.You're going to lose your mind completely when the heat of the Aussie summer comes.
citizen69 | Jul 26, 2012, 01:50 PM EDT
... (cont.) The intercepted report contained a diagram of the Short & Harland aircraft factory, a plan of Sydenham aerodrome, details on the British army, the names and addresses of British officers, and a scheme for sabotaging the Belfast telephone system. The map also showed RUC police barracks and it was commented by the IRA that ‘in this occupied area, they are really a military rather than a civilian force’. A ‘special note’ from the IRA explained: ’Re the symbol coloured light blue, it may be noted that the road thus marked, is the Falls Road, the chief site of Nationalism, while the square is the Prison, where some 300 to 400 Irish Republican soldiers are imprisoned.’. What they were saying here was; Please dont bomb the Falls or the prison but have a field day with everything else. A vetran IRA member was featured in a 1998 documentary where he confessed of the IRA's involvement with the Belfast Blitz and how he was now so ashamed of it. Around 300 northern IRA members were involved with intelligence gathering for the Nazis. After the war further Nazi documents were uncovered in Germany revealing the full extent their involvement with the IRA (whom they considered unreliable drunks), including 'Operation Kathleen', the IRA plan for a Nazi invasion of Ireland... Who's feeling stupid now?
citizen69 | Jul 26, 2012, 01:47 PM EDT
@seanomelb: After the first Nazi bombing raid on Belfast, the IRA produced a fourteen page survey of the damage caused by the German Luftwaffe and provided information and advice for the Nazis. The typescript IRA document was entitled Comprehensive Military Report on Belfast and was ‘issued by the DIRECTOR OF INTELLIGENCE in cooperation with the MILITARY INTELLIGENCE OFFICER of NORTHERN COMMAND’. It came to light on 20 October 1941 when Helena Kelly, an IRA courier, was arrested in Dublin by Irish authorities and the document was found in her handbag. It was clearly intended for the Nazis. The IRA report gave a detailed account of the damage caused by the Luftwaffe and identified targets that had escaped destruction. There was also a map on which the IRA had marked ‘the remaining and most outstanding objects of military significance, as yet unblitzed.’ The IRA suggested that if these objectives were ‘bombed by the Luftwaffe as thoroughly as the other areas in recent raids’, Belfast would ‘be rendered a negative quantity in Britain’s war effort’....
Kilsally | Jul 26, 2012, 11:11 AM EDT
If this was a genuine Larkin event they would have invited the Orange Order as during the Belfast Dockers Strike in 1908(ish) the leader of the Independent Orange Order and trade unionist worked with Larkin and indeed there was a collection taken up on the Twelfth for Larkins work.
Kilsally | Jul 26, 2012, 11:09 AM EDT
IrelandNorth - indeed they did, guns which were used to fight the Germans shortly afterwards. Seems to me the protestors were anti IRA not anti Irish.
KilkennyCats | Jul 26, 2012, 10:00 AM EDT
One word: bigots.
seanomelb | Jul 26, 2012, 03:37 AM EDT
Prove me wrong sad man. Well said Curtis,remember Falls is an ex British army grunt (and hasn't stopped grunting)posing as an Irish nationalist he took the side of the stickies(official IRA).They were the communist cadres planted in Sinn Fein and made a balls of their takeover bid and he calls himself a nationalist the temerity of the joker.A nationalist and a serving member of the British army sounds like an oxymoron LOL
DanOLoingsigh | Jul 26, 2012, 01:58 AM EDT
Of course Seano and Knee miss the point of my posts…again!! What is the point? Before getting on that ‘high horse’ and ‘looking down’ at the ‘historical illiteracy’ of others…better to check your own facts…that’s all…
curtisjohnson | Jul 25, 2012, 08:25 PM EDT
I also do not recall anything comparable to the triumphal marches into indigenous neighborhoods - including the banging of war drums, etc.
curtisjohnson | Jul 25, 2012, 08:22 PM EDT
@FallsRNat - sure you are. "a war of almost genocide against border protestants during the troubles" [!] That's an hilarious fiction. Please provide your evidence of "genocide" as defined by the United Nations or World Court. I assume you have evidence comparable to the types of massive and regular pogroms unleashed by the northern supremacist statelet on the indigenous population? How about the murder and assassination of Irish civilian non-combatants by the british state as documented in the O'Loan report (for which she received multiple death threats)?
seanomelb | Jul 25, 2012, 08:11 PM EDT
Show the proof that Belfast was bombed by Germany with info given by Sinn Fein that begs the point did the Germans bomb dublin with the aid of the British.How stupid do you feel. Poor old Dano making an irrelevant point.And we have Fallsers the ex British army private giving his balanced view.AS far as the "refueling" posting is concerned I just proved ow ridiculous Belphagor's posting was. Typial of his anti Irish mindset.
FallsRNat | Jul 25, 2012, 06:50 PM EDT
curtisjohnson - as a irish nationalist myself with family connections going back to the IRB, I find your anti british rants abhorrent, irish republicanism waged a war of almost genocide against border protestants during the Troubles, the last thing we need to listen to in N Ireland is your puerile rantings
DanOLoingsigh | Jul 25, 2012, 04:23 PM EDT
Old Knee thinks facts are not important...the mark of the true illiterate...
curtisjohnson | Jul 25, 2012, 04:15 PM EDT
You have to love these hysterical IRA/Nazi fantasies. The anglo elites had (and most british still have, albeit relatively secretly) racial hierarchy beliefs which were similar to those of the Nazis. These have been reversed in an official capacity because of the desire for the cheap labor provided by mass immigration. The british opposed Germany in both world wars to preserve their own selfish imperial interests rather than out of any higher moral concerns (they correctly calculated that the US would intervene with overwhelming production capacity but miscalculated that the US would replace their global hegemony). In contrast, true Irish nationalists have always opposed supremacism and triumphalism which are the real cornerstones of the contrived british identity.
WoundedKnee | Jul 25, 2012, 03:40 PM EDT
IrelandNorth: Aren't you jealous of Oloinsigh's ability to use google? But maybe it was OLoinghsih you were thinking of when you mentioned "the historically illiterate/class unconscious flotsam".
citizen69 | Jul 25, 2012, 01:13 PM EDT
@seanmelb: The connection between Sinn Fein/IRA and the Nazis goes WAY beyond refuelling of German ships (which didn't happen in Ireland during WWII). The IRA were in league with the Nazis and had formulated a plan for a Nazi take-Over of Ireland. SF/IRA provided intelligence for the Nazi bombing raids over Belfast which killed over 1000 people. Nazi spies were secretly parachuted into Ireland to conspire & plan with SF/IRA; all this while the Nazi extermination of Jews was common knowledge. The IRA also threatened to attack American GIs based in Northern Ireland during the war.
DanOLoingsigh | Jul 25, 2012, 10:19 AM EDT
It may help to improve historical illiteracy to point out that the Larne gun running took place in April 1914, and that between 25 and 40 thousand guns were imported...
CountyKilburn | Jul 25, 2012, 08:33 AM EDT
One thing I notice about the Irish Diaspora is that when things like this happen, we don't support one another, we just bury our heads in the sand and hope it doesn't happen to us
IrelandNorth | Jul 25, 2012, 08:24 AM EDT
Mind you, the Rt Hon Sir Edward Lord Carson Duncairne's UVF did a very fine job of running 100,000 German guns with 3 million rounds of ammunition into Larne harbour in 1913, to resist a duly passed Home Rule Act of a British Parliament to which he and they conditionally swore allegience to - with Conservative Party connivance! Resistance movements to imperialism will always be less than popular to the historically illiterate/class unconscious flotsam and jetsome descendants of those who were its unwitting foot soldiers - who can never quite bring themselves about to consider the disease which caused the symptoms of which they are so critical. Where ignorance is bliss 'tis a folly to be wise!
curtisjohnson | Jul 24, 2012, 09:44 PM EDT
A fine display of that curious "british" identity in its true form.
seanomelb | Jul 24, 2012, 07:33 PM EDT
Belphagor German ships refueled in Ireland,Portugal,Sweden,Turkey,all of South America and the USA before the declaration of war. According to your false premise they were all racists. Your mealy mouthed attempt to justify your friends hurling abuse at peaceful demonstrators is laughable. Of course when you were a serving member of the crown in Belfast did you not use force to browbeat peaceful nationalist demonstrators firing tear gas cannister or so called plastic bullets and turning your back on orange bullies breaking the law how hypocritical of you..Your puerile postings shine through again.How well you try to hide your hate and bigotry.The king should take care,we may see through those new clothes LOL
Belphagor | Jul 24, 2012, 07:01 PM EDT
occassio, if you scroll down you can read it again without me typing it again. I have read it again myself and it answers all your questions.
aloistmartin | Jul 24, 2012, 05:00 PM EDT
So you God Fearing ( Catholic ) Irishmen felt it was safe to " Shake Hands With The Devil " Did You now ?
occassio | Jul 24, 2012, 04:33 PM EDT
IrishRyan. He was an, 'obese black teenager', obviously making up for his inadequacies by slurring ‘the other’. It is the way the powerless and underdog react when the opportunity arises. Belphagor. What’s this about racists, Nazis and Sinn Fein? Are Unison and the Merseyside Trade Union Congress fronts for the PRO IRA? As someone who is distant from this bone of contention, I’d like to be informed.
Belphagor | Jul 24, 2012, 01:57 PM EDT
IrishRyan you obviously have a thing against Loyalists but to brand them all as racists, is just stupid. With the Exception of the Anti Islam movement or whatever they call themselves most of those who attended have no racist empathies at all. Republicans aren't racist though are they? They never helped Nazi German U-Boats refuel did they, they never bought weapons from them and Sinn Fein Never ran a Nationalst Stall at Diksmuide for 6 years selling their trinkets and rags to neo nazis. You can't just call people racist and expect it to stick. Those that were protesting weren't there against any race or any trades union parade, they were there to raise awareness and to try to stop a PRO IRA band from marching on British Streets. Also Combat 18 have been shut down since their leaders were imprisoned about 12 years ago and they were exposed as a set up by the state. You cant just go saying the orange order has C18 visiting ther parades and expect people to believe it. Sinn Fein watch Orange Order events, so do representatives of most communities in Northern Irleand and if you have some evidence that the Orange Order are involved in illegal activities i challenge you to present this or shut up.
pilib04 | Jul 24, 2012, 01:36 PM EDT
To be sure, not many English cities permit these bigots to parade their sectarian hatred. You can find it in Scotland, but in England the Orange Order bigots are increasingly hard to find.
IrishRyan | Jul 24, 2012, 12:28 PM EDT
I notice theres Loyalist Northern Ireland flags in the picture of this article, so im not surprised if the people behind this racist incident were Loyalists from Northern Ireland. Loyalists from Northern Ireland have always maintained links with racist groups in Britain, such as the National Front, BNP, Combat 18, etc. Even the Orange Order has visitors from Combat 18 at their Orange Parades every year in northern ireland! Its time to stamp out racism in all its forms. I also find it ironic that a BLACK teenager was sided with this Loyalist bunch and yet not very long ago the very same loyalist bunch were attacking black people in britain and telling them to go home too.
Tooreenagrena | Jul 24, 2012, 12:18 PM EDT
This is the remnant of the racist National Front. They also are anti Muslim to hide their racism.
TisEyerish | Jul 24, 2012, 11:54 AM EDT
Obviously, this group is still pissed off because Irish citizens persisted in gaining their freedom after centuries of being little better than slaves in their native land.
Sparklet | Jul 24, 2012, 11:39 AM EDT
carrickcourt - in a nutshell.
carrickcourt | Jul 24, 2012, 11:35 AM EDT
Ignorant people doing what ignorant people do. End of discussion.
johnnymac12 | Jul 24, 2012, 10:42 AM EDT
If this parade as to commemorate larkin why then did it have republican bands and ira supporters groups as the main supporters, organising the event. This is a another ploy by the murdering bastards to hoodwink the British public into thinking this is a legitimate parade when all they are doing is glorifying terrorism. Can the gullible authorities not see through their lies. The aim for the British public is to keep these murderers and their supporters off the streets of any town on mainland U.K. IRA...OFF OUR STREETS. NO SURRENDER...FAUGH A BALLAGH.