Graveside Oration, John MacLean Commemoration Nov 25 2012

I am Alan Stewart. I am a member of the Northern England branch/commun of the Scottish Republican Socialist Movement. I welcome you to this John MacLean Commemoration. John MacLean is talked of as Scotland's favourite Socialist Saint. But why is he so important? Why did we commemorate him? Why do we remember him? We remember him firstly as an internationalist. The first Soviet Consul in Scotland. He ran a consulate in Portland Street in the Gorbals. The Post Office refused to deliver the mail and the state wanted it shut but MacLean fought on..admired by Connolly, admired by MacLean. We remember him as a pioneer in working class education. He himself got an MA through evening study. Later he and colleagues ran scores of classes in economics. He went on speaking tours. He wrote pamphlets. All the time spreading socialist ideas. We remember him as an exponent of working class self organisation. Organising the unemployed. At the fore in the Clyde Workers Committee. Backing striking women workers in Neilston. All the time taking the fight to capital. We remember him as a principled opponent of imperialist wars. He went to prison several times because of his steadfast opposition to the slaughter of World War One. He organised anti-war rallies. The first was at Nelson's Column on Glasgow Green. At first the anti-war movement was small but it grew. And finally, given what is happening today, we remember him, like Connolly as someone who recognised the inextricable link between the demand for socialism and the demand for national liberation. The national question -the right to national self determination- was a democratic demand at the heart of socialism. Not an irrelevance or an add on. We will be marching shortly to the MacLean Cairn. There will then be a rally and social at the Shawbridge Tavern. Thankyou comrades for your support. All Hail the Scottish Workers' Republic! http://scottishrepublicans.myfreeforum.org/Graveside_Oration_John_MacLean_Commemoration_Nov_25_2012_about2182.html

Join an Independent Republican Socialist Forum

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/reds4justice/

This group is an Independent Republican Socialist news and debate forum. We support a 32 County Irish Socialist Republic and Scottish Socialist Workers Republic. Support for national liberation struggles for small nations to include all Celts, Basques and Breton peoples to secure Independence. And Freedom for Kernow/Cornwall.

This forum is in Solidarity with the IRSM, Irish Rights Watch, while also being supported by Civil Rights Vets and the Irish Political Status Committee. We urge immediate active support for the Capt.Kelly Justice Campaign, and the urgent repatriation of Irish citizen Noel Maguire to Portlaoise Prison. We also support the campaign to Free Marian Price and an end to selective internment of the Irish by the British.

We also demand Justice for Martin Corey, Gerry McGeough and Michael Campbell for him to be extradited from Lithuania to a jail in Ireland.

We also support human rights and assistance for political prisoners and their dependents particularly those presently detained in Irish, British and US Jails.

Saoirse Go Deo!

Red Justice Board

Resist Gaza occupation

Shining a Light on the Shadows

Scottish Socialists for Independence

Dear Comrades

Since 2003 the Communist Party of Scotland has been holding seminars and producing pamphlets to work towards building the left for Independence. We have worked positively with a number of organisations over this time. It was agreed by them that the time has come to form a loose organisation Scottish Socialists for Independence to campaign as one of the many groups who are building unity at the grassroots as part of the Yes Campaign.

We are holding a meeting on Sunday 4th November 2012 to set up the organisation and elect a committee to begin working for an event in the early Spring. we welcome anyone from any party who supports our aims of independence and socialism.

The meeting is from 1.30pm-3pm in the Premier Inn. It is held in the Argyle Room,first floor ,booked in the name of Alert Scotland.

You are welcome to attend and to pass this to anyone who may be interested.

With all good wishes

Yours in comradeship

Maggie Chetty

Statement received from the Irish Republican Political Support Group

The Irish Comrades in London work very hard for the Political Prisoners and Irish Freedom

Statement by the Irish Republican Political Support Group

The IRPSG has been the chief mobiliser for Republican prisoners in the north of Ireland in London over the past few years. We can say without hesitation and we have always extended invitations to all other to participate in our mobilisations and some have responded well on occasion. We have always attempted to participate in the mobilisations of others Republicans. However cooperation has fallen off recently and it has just now come to our attention that vile and baseless rumours are being circulated in Republican circles in Britain that a leading members of our group is a police agent. At the London demonstration of 20 October 2012 an IRPSG supporter was approached by a well known Republican who told him, “Have nothing to do with the IRPSG because ** works for the security services”. He referred him to another well known Republican from a different group who he said had been inquiring about **. When our supporter approached him he then repeated the rumour.

This ‘cop baiting’ is lethal in all the movements of the oppressed and particularly in the republican movement where it has a long and ignoble history. We challenge these rumour mongers to have a meeting with us and present their proof. Who was betrayed, what information was passed on what payments in cash or kind was received? We assert without hesitation these stories are baseless and have their origins in past conflicts which were never properly investigated.

We are convinced that these attacks originate in political opposition. Those who mindlessly pass them on because they suit their current political needs may find themselves caught in a climate of such suspicion and distrust that all political mobilisations in London for the cause of Republican prisoners in the north of Ireland become impossible to organise. And who benefits from that? It is well known that the leading activists of the IRPSG are revolutionary socialists and leftists. We stand with James Connolly,

“If you remove the English army tomorrow and hoist the green flag over Dublin Castle, unless you set about the organization of the Socialist Republic your efforts would be in vain. England would still rule you. She would rule you through her capitalists, through her landlords, through her financiers, through the whole array of commercial and individualist institutions she has planted in this country and watered with the tears of our mothers and the blood of our martyrs.”

We are Trotskyists, Communists, Maoists, Marxist Leninists and Republicans who take our internationalist duty seriously to defend the rights of oppressed peoples to fight with whatever means they see necessary to throw off the yoke of British and every other Imperialist power. We defend the civil and democratic rights of all Republican political prisoners without favour because we recognise none of them would be in prison for the ‘crime’ of trying to liberate their land from British Imperialism if Ireland was not occupied by British Imperialism. We think that political differences after these principles are agreed are matters for debate in struggle but slanders and rumour mongering have no place in that struggle. If you have proof of wrongdoing please present it. If not apologise, withdraw and we can work together as comrades for the cause of the prisoners.

Gerry Downing Secretary Irish Republican Support Group 30 October 2012