### Butcher's apron victory
At a recent meeting Belfast city council voted in favour of a resolution aimed at preventing Sinn Fein and 'like-minded organisations' from standing in the local government elections this May, or in any future elections to the Stormont assembly or Westminster. They hope to achieve this by making all would-be candidates for election in the North of Ireland sign from the council meetings by both Sinn Fein and SDLP [Social Democratic and Labour Party] councillors, and noisy scenes in the public gallery as police have been called in to clear McAnulty's protesting constituents.
The affair has attracted much publicity in Ireland, and PD have launched a campaign to highlight the case in the labour movement in Britain. The unionist establishment in Belfast has been forced to back down. When MeAnulty took his case to Belfast High Court, they found in his favour, declaring his indefinite expulsion illegal.
Smarting from their humiliating defeat, the unionists vindietively introduced severe restrictions on the right of the public to attend council meetings and set about trying to ensure that Sinn Fein and PD are prevented from standing in the forthcoming elections.
The 'butcher's apron' episode was the first attempt to fight back against the ongoing attack on the rights of elected anti-imperialists in the Six Counties, particularly Sinn Fein. It marks an important departure.
With the electoral advances of Sinn Fein since the hunger strikes, both the British and Irish governments have adopted a policy of trying to marginalise them by refusing to allow them the rights normally accorded to elected representatives. For example, restrictions on the right of Sinn Fein travel to Britain, banning of Gerry Adams [president of Sinn Fein] from visiting prisons, the refusal of ministers in Belfast and Dublin to meet Sinn Fein councillors and the exclusion of Sinn Fein from the All Ireland Forum. (1)
Sinn Fein has made little attempt to mount a political defence against these attacks, taking instead a stance: Well, what else do you expect from these people?' Their non-recognition of the courts and the Dail (Irish parliament) also proves an obstacle to some of the steps likely to be involved in any defence campaign.
The SDLP leadership, far from defending Sinn Fein, actively collaborated in the attack; for example, through agreeing to exclude Sinn Fein from the All Ireland Forum.
It is within this context that the importance of the PD fight must be seen. They have called for a meeting of all anti-unionist elected representatives in the Six Counties to discuss the situation should the latest Belfast city council motion be acted on.
The whole question of decreasing democratic rights for anti-imperialist elected representatives in the North of Ireland is something which activists in Britain and elsewhere should be raising within both the trade union and labour movements. 1. The All Ireland Forum was a conference of moderate nationalist forces established to elaborate a minimum nationalist programme and a solution to the conflict in the North. Margaret Thatcher rejected out of hand even the most mild demands which they came up with.
International Viewpoint 11 March 1985 a declaration opposing violence and monarch. Fergus O'HARE
This move is the latest in a series of attacks on the democratic rights of Sinn Fein and People's Democracy (PD) elected representatives in the North of Ireland, and comes in the wake of a significant victory by PD councillor John McAnulty against attempts by Belfast council to 'unelect' him.
The PD victory in what became known as the 'Butcher's Apron' row has demonstrated both the possibility and necessity of opposing the increasing attacks on democratic rights.
The row broke out last December with attempts by unionists to close down a leisure centre in a nationalist area on the spurious grounds that local people had erected an Irish tricolour over it. During the debate unionists heaped abuse on the tricolour.
In his response, MeAnulty made an allusion to the Scottish highland clearances of the eighteenth century, stating that some of his constituents would reswearing allegiance to the British gard the union jack as a 'butcher's apron'. A flurry of hysteria erupted from the unionist benches. McAnulty was suspended indefinitely from the council chamber, thereby effectively disenfranchising the people who elected him.
The action of Belfast council is seen all the more clearly when you consider that in the past unionist councillors have shouted death threats at PD and Sinn Fein councillors, called for the incineration of the Catholic population and physically assaulted PD councillor Fergus O'Hare in the council chamber - without any culprits being suspended.
MeAnulty has refused to accept the right of the council to suspend him indefinitely and determinedly turned up at every council meeting since, only to be forcibly ejected by the RUC [Royal Ulster Constabulary ].
These actions have been accompanied by strong protests from all other Belfast anti-unionist councillors, the suspension of PD Councillor O'Hare, walk-outs
### Fourth International statement of solidarity The Twelfth World Congress of the Fourth International declares its solidarity with comrade John McAnulty of People's Democracy (Irish section of the Fourth International) undemocratically barred from exercising his rights and duties as a member of Belfast City Council.
Comrade MeAnulty has been barred from attending council meetings until he withdraws a statement describing the British flag (the Union Jack) as a 'butcher's apron'.
Comrade McAnulty made this statement in response to pro-British Unionist councillors calling the Tricolour, the traditional national flag of Ireland, 'a rag'.
Unionist councillors of Belfast city council are refusing to implement the fire safety regulations in the Andersonstown leisure centre, newly opened for the population of this working class Catholic neighbourhood in West Belfast, unless the Tricolour that is presently flying above it is taken down.
Fellow PD councillor Fergus O'Hare and Sinn Fein councillors have joined comrade McAnulty in his protest against this vindictive and undemocratic act.
We call on the labour movement and its elected representatives to demand that Belfast city council lifts its ban on comrade McAnulty and implements the fire safety regulations in the Andersonstown leisure centre.
Forward to the day that the Tricolour flies in a 32 County Irish Workers Republie!
Britain and its butcher's apron out of Ireland now! 12
Dossier