Irish Democrat
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SOPER ATTACKED IN BELFAST SEPTEMBKR 1959 Orange mob like animals' Manchester HE CRITICISED THE R.U.C. Irishman makes FROM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT ^y HEN Hyde Park open-air preacher Dr. Donald Soper went to Ballymena, Co. Antrim, he found Mr. Ian Paisley's extreme ultra-Orange sectarian M.P. give up "Free Presbyterians" had gone out specially from the Shankill Road to be ready A SPECIAL lecturer had to be summoned to answer questions for him. ^ on Ireland, when students at the National Council of Scarcely had he mounted the wagon from which he was to say before contradicting it, Mr. Paisley replied: Labour Colleges summer school protested against the refusal to speak when there was a pandemonium of hecklers, and a cf Mr. Jim Griffiths, M.P. to comment on the lack of democracy man threw a Bible at him which struck a woman in the "We would give you free speech in the north-east of Ireland. * audience. if you came as an infidel but not as a Christian minister." There were cries of "You wear The srhool was held in Dorking. In other words if Dr. Soper was a Roman cassock" and "Where are Si:: rev. and tutor Griffiths was prepared to admit what was utterly your beads?" laiK.mg about colonialism for near- untrue, then Mr. Paisley would ]\ three days, promising that Dr. Soper told the press, "It let him speak. Christianity in the La!>rur would do away with th° was the most animal-like meet- Six Counties is to be under licence N .tsaland Police State and give ing I have ever spoken at." lrom the Shankhill Road. ; < Africans freedom. When Mr. Paisley made a per- REVOLVERS -nting through the lectures was sonal attack on the speaker, Dr. Mft::chester Irish Mr. David Mur- Dr. Soper had infuriated the Soper replied that he was not par- I •.. a " bricklayer. THREE MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT lunatic lringe by outspoken re- ticularly bothered by what Mr. He asked Mr. Griffiths would n.arks about the carrying of arms Paisley thought of him. r e not agree that the unsettled • are supporting the Connolly Association by the Royal Ulster Constabulary, National question had given rise 'Tree the prisoners" campaign in Manchester which he did not think was in con- (Continued on Page 8) 10 Police State in Northern Ire- formity with a democratic state. and, and was this not a lesson which takes place between August 21st and 29th. for African affairs. They are Mr. Leslie Lever, Mr. Frank AHaun, Among the hecklers was Ian DRILLERS ARRESTED . lecturer brushed him aside. and Mr. Will Griffiths, all well-known for the Paisley himself who accused Dr. EVEN men, four from the Six !!• was not dealing with Ireland. Soper ol denying the Virgin birth S Counties, were arrested by 'I: ai had nothing to do with it. pro-Irish views. and the bodily resurrection of Gardai and Special Branch men in Hut ths students were not satis- At the rally at Piatt Fields on August 29th, Christ. an early swoop on a lonely farm- house in Co. Meath over the holi- fied. During the lunch break six and procession to All Saints, Mr. Horace New- The noise did not slacken when :f them approached Mr. Murphy day period. Tents, camping equip- he replied. "I have been acquitted and urged him to raise the mat- bold. Secretary of the Manchester and Salford ment, etc. was found sufficient for of those charges by the highest ter again. He did, but Mr. Jim Trtides Council (biggest in England) will speak, 50 men. Griffiths was unrelenting. Dissatis- court of the Methodist Church." In another swoop in Westmeath, faction grew so intense that some- together with Joe Deighan and others. "You are not a Methodist" three young men were taken to thing had to be done, and since screamed Paisley, and went on Athione. Later, two special courts Mr. Jim Griffiths (not to be con- shouting about the Roman cas- were held. Local people"paraded fused with Mr. Will Griffiths) FULL DETAILS OF THE sock. outside the courts with protest would not oblige, Mr. Andrew Boyd banners. Then men were charged had to be brought to give a special When Dr. Soper appealed for a under firearms act. Later the ecture on the Irish question, in CAMPAIGN ON BACK PAGE hearing on the grounds that it was police found an encampment on which he explained the results of onlv right to listen to what he had the borders of Tipperary, but all partition. the men scattered and no arrests were made. BOOST OUR FUND HE "Irish Democrat," boycotted T by the advertisers who don't like its republican policy and de- fence of the working man, needs £30 a month in donations to bridge the gap between income and ex- penditure. We have done, if we say it our- selves, a hell ol a lot to expose the Six-County Government and its re- cord of torture and imprisonment without trial. And they are hop- ping mad about it. But with more money we could do far more. So please, readers, do your bit by sending us a donation, now and every month. Two hundred and forty half-crowns make £30. And eight collected from friends or on the job or in the pub—we will be pleased to send you a collecting card- makes £1. So write today to "Irish Demo- crat," 374 Grays Inn Road, Lon- don, W.C.I. Our sincere thanks go to: P. Mallon 5/-, E. O'Dowling 5 -, per E. O'Dowling 15'-, per M. Boyle 10/-, P. O'Shea 10/-, P. O'Connor 3/-, J. McGrotty 7 -, P.B. £1/12/-, J. Johnston 2'-, Liverpool readers 2/-, M. Cusack 2 -, per M. Rabbitt 2/-, M. Rabbitt 2 6, Mrs. B. Wat- lers 2/6, M. Brennan 10/-, V. Lee 5 -, Tobacco Workers' Union, Lon- don 2/-, Anon, Shepherds Bush 4'6, per o.T. 3 6, B. Wilkinson 10'-, P. O'Toole 2 6, M. Rlgney £1/15/-, Anon. Hyde Park 1/-, E. O'Dowling The start of the walk from Kings Cross to £1, C. Sullivan 10/-, P.B. £2. Total ROGER CASEMENT COMMEMORATION Pentonville organised on Aug. 2 by Sinn Fein £12'5 6. September 1959 THE IRISH DEMOCRAT 7 2 THE IRISH DEMOCRAT September 1959 THE IRISH DEMOCRAT Ireland gives the lead WHEN IS A LABOUR PARTY 374 GRAYS INN ROAD \ \'HAT a guffaw went up from a group THERE exists in Belfast a small or- LONDON, W.C.I of Englishmen when I ventured a ganisation which retains the title statement on the international status of Subscription: 8/- per year of "Northern Ireland Labour Party." the Twenty-Six Counties ol Ireland, in Hyde Park. Editor: DESMOND GREAVES in Europe What is it ? A LABOUR PARTY? I will repeat tlie statement in print. Tiit• famous "roup dVtat" l.v which Count) people from the n.-k of war is to nise her existence. Get her to sit at thee.in- I said: "The Republic of Ireland is the the original part;: was in elleet dis- • join the Republic! ference table, and then she'll be bound, most progressive state—indeed the only Quite a number of people arc bound to to what she agrees to, like Ireland or any solved (in 194ft) is still much of a AN INTERESTING RIDDLE FROM BELFAST RIGHT TO progressive state —in Western Europe." think it is a bit pointless to be gallivanting other country. But if she's not let in on mystery to many in the British Labour Has it any faults? Plenty. round Europe lor peace, if at the same things, who can blame her if she makes movement. Does its social condition give cause for time you are not making the simple de- her own arrangements? If you won't listen most of them now exist only on paper. Six-County party through common affilia- Armagh. Coleraine. from all parts oT Bel- KNOW complacency? No. mand which can assure the non-involve- to HER case, why should she listen 13 How was this change brought about? Though not in any sense rabidly Catholic- tions with the all-Ireland Trade Union last including strongly Protestant, areas, And by whom? ^(.)ME smprise has been expressed Is there nothing to complain of? Plenty. ment of Ireland as a whole in any pos- YOURS? hating. its leaders mostly "kick with the Congress and through the exchange of could voice this militant anti-Toryivn on ' in Irish circles in London at the But all the same, it is the most progres- sible war. These two proposals coming from Ire- Chn fly by means of a wholesale purge one foot." fraternal delegates. Irish affairs. sive state in Western Europe, and I can * * * land were a major contribution to the sort conducted by a group of Labour-Unionist torl'uight denial by the "United Two of its four M.P.s at Stormont, W. The transformation of the N.I.L.P. into Thus at the conference of October, 1337, prove it. of thinking that will secure world peace. type leaders. Previously in the history ol Iri.-hman" that any meetings under It might be argued that neutrality, non- R. Boyd and F. V. Simpson are Methodist a political appendage of the Unionists was delegate H. Todd from the Plasterers' * * * They were echoed by many other small the party such efforts had been made by the allspices of the Republican Move- commitment as it is fashionably called local preachers. Of the other two.