‘Emancipation & Liberation’ RIC Special Bulletin, May 2014

The RCN produced its second  RIC Special Bulletin in May. It includes the articles the following articles: What happens after September 18th Support the struggle for real self-determination in a Scottish democratic, secular and social republic Winning internationalist allies in Ireland Edinburgh RIC branch proposals to RIC National Forum in the event of a ‘Yes’ vote on September 18th…

Invitation To ‘The Left And Maidan’ In Kyiv, 12th-13th April

Dear comrades! We invite you to take part in our conference “The Left and Maidan” to be held in Kiev on 12-13 April 2014 in the Blue Hall of Cinema House (6 Saksaganskogo Street). The events of the last few months raise difficult questions for the left movement. Should we participate in the Maidan events…

25 Years Since The Poll Tax: 1 Year Since The ‘Bedroom Tax’

Today, April Fools Day, RIC supporters handed out the leaflet below on the streets of Scotland. The 25th anniversary of the poll tax also provides an opportunity to provide a link to the article written by Allan Armstrong (RCN), Chair of Lothian Anti-Poll Tax Federation, for Red Banner, on the 20th anniversary of the tax.…

Undercover But Within Sites – Police Infiltration Of Trade Unions

Emancipation & Liberation has been covering the long term of blacklisting of building worker, Brian Higgins. Brian has also been involved over many years in a struggle with the UCATT bureaucracy. More recently, developments over Stephen Lawrence have highlighted the use of undercover police to infiltrate defence campaigns. Here Mark Metcalf reveals how the police infiltrated…

New Issue of ‘resistance’ from the Irish Socialist Network

Issue no. 18 of resistance the Irish Socialist Network (http://www.irishsocialist.net) for the Winter of 2013-14 is now out. The articles include:- Labour Goes From Boom to Bust – by Kevin Quinn (ISN) Demanding a Future for Young People – S. Fitzgerald and M. Murphy Roma case exposes state racism – Aindrias O’Cathasaigh Greeks Bearing Lessons…

Freedom Come All Ye – The New RCN Banner

The four portraits on the Republican Communist Network banner provide good examples of the historical tradition we come from. These people have been chosen as representative of many others, whose names have often gone unrecorded, yet who have contributed to the struggle for human emancipation, liberation and self-determination. Each individual highlights different aspects of our…

An Ex-Soldier Responds To The Jailing And Dismissal Of Protesting Soldiers

The class-divided nature of the British Army is made very clear in the draconian treatment of fifteen soldiers jailed for staging a sit-in protest directed at senior officers in the Yorkshire Regiment (see article posted on BBC online at Yorkshire Regiment soldiers jailed for sit-in protest). Alan Boylan (RCN) is a former serviceman in the…

G8 Summit At Enniskillen

The G8 summit was held in Enniskillen, County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland, from June 17th – 18th. It is eight years since the G8 summit held at Gleneagles in July 2005. Emancipation & Liberation covered that summit quite extensively in issue no. 11 (see Emancipation & Liberation Issue 11). Little has changed. The first article by John McAnulty…

Offensive Behaviour And The Independence Referendum

In the following two articles, Jim Slaven of the James Connolly Society shows that SNP government’s Offensive Behaviour Act represents the latest attempt to create a ‘sectarian’ smokescreen to avoid tacking anti-Irish racism in Scotland, whilst the Labour Party’s ‘opposition’ is nothing but the rankest opportunism from a party that has long upheld the UK…

The Bedroom Tax in Northern Ireland

This article on the ‘Bedroom Tax’ in Northern Ireland comes from eirigi. Several parallels (some erroneous and some useful) have been drawn between the ‘Bedroom Tax’ and the Poll Tax. However, even Thatcher’s Tory government never tried to introduce the Poll Tax into Northern Ireland in the context of the Republican struggle there. Today, the…