Reader's Blog: March brings the dividing lines into focus
‘Leaving EU, Walking’ was a project that took place on March 13. It reflected on faultlines: the civil rights marches of Selma to Montgomery (Alabama, USA) March 1965; Derry on October 5, 1968, and events at Burntollet Bridge on January 4, 1969. It involved walking from Bridgend, Donegal, to Free Derry Corner and back again before Brexit (March 29 or whatever that date might be in the not too distant future), while it was still possible to be, North and South, a citizen of the European Union.
After Brexit the Republic of Ireland will be in a changed EU and Northern Ireland will be in a different economic and political zone — where, we don’t know yet.
Both North and South will be affected by such separation.
The art project was a reflection on faultlines, of which there are many, North and South, and we are going to see effects of these on the North leaving the EU, after Brexit. On March 14, survivors and family of those killed on Bloody Sunday in Derry on January 30, 1972, were informed by the North’s Public Prosecution Service in Derry’s Guildhall that one paratrooper would face charges on two counts of murder and four counts of attempted murder; there was one other instance where, allegedly, the paratrooper shot and killed another civilian and civil rights protester on that day was set aside. It was claimed the weight of evidence “did not support a conviction”.
On Bloody Sunday, it may be said that hundreds of people saw paratroopers shooting civilians. It may also be said three British soldiers were convicted of unlawful killing in the North over 30 years.
Two or three years on they went back to the army, indicating an amnesty available for British services personnel.
On Bloody Sunday 14 people died, then and later, from paratrooper gunshot wounds and 14 were wounded — echoing Bloody Sunday at Croke Park in 1920 in Dublin.
Free Derry Corner is a hard place to be. It is a place of memory, an epicentre of endurance and suffering. Those who survived Bloody Sunday, with the families of those killed, endured the Widgery whitewash, abuse and lies.
There came small recompense. With Savile finding the dead innocent of wrongdoing and a subsequent prime minister’s apology. As for justice, these families have endured and abided stoically for 47 years, bearing themselves with dignity — bearing witness for civil rights. Shouldn’t we be with them — standing by their station?
Meanwhile, the DUP seem centred on the narrow objectives of exclusion. They seem to employ aggressive postures. The DUP, among extreme Brexiteers, have, so far, had a “splendid little war” and are set to have a seat on future relations talks, likely to last years (given how much is yet to be unwound of so many EU/UK agreements over 45 years) so, the DUP can ensure the North is treated in talks on trade no differently than any other part of the UK. They would claim that as their price of accepting the current withdrawal agreement. So, lots and lots more of the DUP. They appear to loathe a Republic. The rest of us are deeply concerned for the wellbeing of, as yet, 500m EU citizens and for the 64m UK-EU citizens set to now leave the EU, affecting the welfare of them and the citizens that will remain with the European Union.
The DUP seems to follow its own agendas. Holding on to power is a guiding light, it would appear. Attachment to Britain and maintaining detachment from the southern state of the island of Ireland seem to inform DUP actions. And the DUP seem to align to those hard Brexiteers who would prefer to simply “crash-out” of the European Union.
