For the past three nights, violent riots have erupted in Ballymena, Co. Antrim which has seen hundreds of youths and other elements engaged in violent protest. The riots came after the reporting of an instance of sexual assault of a teenage girl by two individuals of Romanian nationality. The days since have seen protesters burning down houses and targeting those of migrants in the community and most recently we saw the burning of a Leisure Centre in Larne. The Connolly Youth Movement condemns the riots and the racist violence which has occurred as a result of them. The thoughts of the CYM are with the 14 year old victim of sexual assault, who is another addition in an unacceptably growing list of women and girls who face sexual violence and femicide. The CYM would also like to send solidarity to the migrant population in the area who have faced extreme violence and intimidation.
The CYM condemns the scapegoating of migrants for the instance of sexual violence which occurred, and the violent attacks which occurred as a result of this. The condemnation of all migrants based on the actions of one individual is a direct ploy to divide the working population. The deliberate targeting of the homes of migrants and the methods of the people rioting can be directly traced back to the reactionary ideology of loyalism.This cannot be separated from the direct involvement of loyalist paramilitaries in the riots. There is no doubt that, as in the past, these nefarious groups have played an escalating role in the riots. These methods of intimidation and violence are a continuation of the divisive and violent activity towards the Catholic population in which families were burnt out of their homes in acts of extreme sectarianism.
What both of these elements of sectarian activity have in common is that they divide the working class and consolidate capitalist rule in Ireland. Whether it be the intense hatred amongst the working class towards the nationalist population or the contemporary example of racism towards migrants, the dirty work of the capitalist system is achieved in convincing the people that they have no common struggle with the same populations. The capitalist class of Britain and the North maintain their position, in part, through the promotion of these ideologies. The situation in Ballymena did not develop in isolation, and many DUP politicians were involved in the lead up with posts online raising “concerns” about migration. Here we can directly see the pipeline which lies are fed to sections of the population on behalf of the ruling class.
The question of migration in Ireland however as of late has not just been restricted to the unionist communities. Spontaneous outbursts all over the country have proven that the reactionary ideologies promoted by the bourgeoisie in order to divide our class can take root. Primarily in the south, a cohort of reactionary nationalists have emerged which openly defend the rule of capital and its methods in Ireland. The common approach between this element and the loyalist elements in the north is no coincidence, rather the unified approach of the capitalist class on an international and domestic level. The temporary unity of these groups does not represent any overcoming of the sectarian divide, rather a coalition of reaction. The misidentification of migration as the root of scarcity fails to explain the root causes of poverty in the north and beyond. The response which identifies any town or region as purely designated for one ethnicity only is not merely just an impossible reality, but it is also strongly anti-working class, and should be condemned in strong terms.
The working class in the north of Ireland are facing increased poverty in the face of a blunt anti-worker policy pursued by the British state. 1 in 5 children live in poverty, housing prices are increasing at rates higher than anywhere in Britain and will soon approach the levels in Dublin and healthcare facilities are continuously being shut down. The campaign of militarisation being pursued by the British ruling class in the north on the other hand receives millions from the British state. The situation in the north in light of these contradictions, cannot be improved by further entrenchment in backwards sectarian ideology and racism which cause division, rather it must recognise that the rule of capitalism in Ireland and all the ills that come with it can only be overcome through working class unity.