The bloody feud between the Official and Provisional IRA appears at the time of writing to have been halted while discussions take place to resolve the matters in dispute. Hostilities ceased at 4 pm on Thursday 13 November; and for the nationalist minority in Belfast, the end came not a minute too soon.
The anti-Unionist people were sickened by the feud, and put mounting pressure on both sides to end it. Statements condemning the feud were issued by the Andersonstown Central Civil Resistance Campaign, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, People's Democracy, the Revolutionary Marxist Group (Irish section of the Fourth International), and the Communist Party of DEMONSTRATIONS The women of the nationalist areas also took to the JOHN MAGEE reports from Belfast amongst the nationalist people to claim that the Catholie areas are more terrorised by the Republicans than by the British Army or the Loyalist para-militaries.
RUC MORE CONFIDENT That the SDLP has not been entirely unsuccessful in this was shown by the fact that the leadership of some of the demonstrations was taken by the Church, and also by the incursions made by the RUC into the ghettoes over the past few weeks. On some occasions the RUC have entered the hearts of the nationalist distriets to carry out searches and patrols without the British Army, showing a confidence unprecedented since 1969.
Imperialism has naturally been delighted at the spectacle of Republican shooting Republican. British soldiers on the streets of Belfast have been laughing at the dead bodies of Republicans and taunting the population about the "Army of the people'. But the biggest smirk is to be found up at Stormont Castle, on the face of the Northern Ireland Secretary, Merlyn Rees.
The feud gave Rees the perfect pretext for closing down the incident centres, thus conceding one of the Loyalists' major demands. Counter-allegations by both the Officials and the Provisionals that the other is no more than 'a gangster outfit also gave Rees the chance to reveal that he was abolishing the special category Last week, Roy Jenkins announced that the "draconian measures', masquerading under the twice misnamed 'Prevention made tougher and permanent.
It takes only a few moments to look at how the Act has been used to see what its real role has been. Joe Gallagher - guilty of being a good shop steward and member of Bletchley Trades COUnCIL - - arrestca unaer une Ace ra Arrowsmith - guilty of daring to distribure pacist leanets exposing the role ol the troops in Ireland - arrested under the Act.
The law has been used as a blanket means of investigating and harassing the Irish community in Britain, and against all those active in campaigning against the role of the troops in Ireland.
As Brigadier Kitson (military adviser to the Government) says: "The law should be used as just another weapon in the Government's arsenal, and in this case it becomes true more than a propaganda cover for the disposal of unwanted mem Ders of tne pubic.
A conference called by Mancheste NCCL and sponsored by Salford Trades Council and the local AUEW-TASS Divisional Council amongst others, is the first step towards building a national campaign against the renewal of this anti-working class legislation. But it will take more than conferences to remove this legislation - it will require a cam palen or me wnole labour movement united against Jenkins' laws and in derence or democratic tIEnts The conference, along with the pam priet une stare, the Law, and ireland (produced by Manchester NCCL) is but the first step in what will be a hard fight. It will take place on Sunday 30 November starting at 2.30 p.m. in the Barnes Wallis Building, UMIST, Sackville Street, Manchester. For further information, contact Mart Collins, Flat 2, 1 Palatine Road, Withington, Manchester 20.