The brutal
assault on Michael McIlveen in the centre of Ballymena on 7 May, and
his death two days later, has highlighted the ongoing problem of sectarian
violence but has also shown how working class people on both sides can
come together to put an end to such attacks.
Whilst there are fewer sectarian murders today than was the case a few
years ago, Michael's murder is a stark reminder of just how divided
Northern Ireland is at present. This division shows itself in the greater
than ever geographical separation of Catholics and Protestants. A majority
of people, and a large majority of working class people, live in areas
which are more than 90% Catholic or Protestant.
Ballymena is largely Protestant with a 20% Catholic minority. In recent
years there has been a sharp increase in sectarian polarisation in the
town with frequent assaults and confrontations between groups of Catholic
and Protestant young people wielding hurling sticks and baseball bats.
This increased separation has resulted in the North side of the town
becoming more and more Catholic. Young people from North Ballymena are
at physical risk if they attempt to use facilities in the town centre.
Whilst Catholics are most at risk, the attacks are two-way with some
young Catholics carrying out sectarian attacks on Protestants. Several
years ago there was a prolonged sectarian protest outside a Catholic
church in the Harryville area of the town and Loyalist paramilitaries
have carried out hundreds of sectarian petrol bomb attacks in the area
over the last number of years. Given the level of violence, it was clear
that someone would be killed sooner or later.
All the mainstream political parties condemned Michael's murder, but
did so in a one-sided way, taking the opportunity to have a go at "the
other side". These parties of course base themselves on sectarian
division and are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
There were several probable revenge attacks after Michael's murder and
some young people traded insults and threats in the Bebo chatroom. Loyalist
activists from the Ballykeel estates began patrolling the town centre
to "protect" young Protestants who they claimed were under
threat.
In contrast Michael's family took a clear anti-sectarian stance after
his death calling for no retaliation and condemning all sectarian attacks.
When Michael's body arrived at his home the family played Tommy Sand's
anti-sectarian song, "There Were Roses", to the crowd outside.
At his funeral his coffin was carried by young people wearing both Glasgow
Celtic and Rangers football tops.
The Socialist Party and its predecessors have a long and proud history
of activity in the Ballymena area. Socialist Youth, the Socialist Party's
youth wing, intervened in the town in the days following the murder,
putting forward a programme to counter all sectarian attacks.
The Socialist Youth leaflet argued "the best response to Michael's
killing would be a united mass mobilisation of people from the working-class
communities across Ballymena and from young people from all the schools
in the area, saying 'Enough is enough-all sectarian attacks must end
now' ".
15 members leafleted outside all the schools on two occasions, held
stalls outside both the town shopping centres on the Saturday following
Michael's death and organised a meeting open to all school students
two days after Michael's funeral (see below).
The struggle against sectarian attacks and for a better life for working
class people doesn't end with Michael's funeral. The best way to mark
his short life is to build a united movement in Ballymena, that could
spread across Northern Ireland, and challenge sectarianism in all its
forms.
The trade union movement is key to building such a movement, although
it is currently poorly organised in North Antrim. The local Trades Council,
for example, no longer exists.
There is every reason to believe that working people in the area will
respond if given a lead. The trade union organised demonstrations against
sectarian attacks in the 1990's brought several thousand people on to
the streets in Ballymena on several occasions.
When a young worker was murdered in nearby Antrim, as he waited for
his lift to work, his workmates in the F G Wilson engineering factory
walked out. When Danny McColgan was murdered in 2002, his fellow postal
workers in Rathcoole in South East Antrim walked out.
The trade union movement has a duty to act. It should call together
shop stewards and other activists in the main workplaces in the Ballymena
area and form anti-sectarian committees.
The committees should broaden to include young people and genuine community
groups. If such committees are to tackle sectarian attacks in a serious
way, they should mount anti-sectarian patrols in the town centre to
prevent further attacks. A resolute stand can stop all the sectarian
attacks. Inaction will ensure more young people suffer the terrible
fate of Michael McIlveen.
See also:
Ballymena:
Young people get organised against sectarianism
