Anti Imperialist Action Ireland condemn the recent so called ‘bonds of friendship’ tournament between the Free State Military and Police, the RUC and the British Military and Police in Kilkenny.
Speaking from Dublin, a spokesperson for the Revolutionary Socialist Republican Movement said, ‘It is absolutely no suprise that free state forces would welcome the British Occupation Forces for a golf tournament and piss up in Kilkenny. The Free State and it’s forces were established by Britain and Britain maintains a semi colonial authority over the 26 counties while it continues the direct military occupying of our six northeastern counties.
That this tournament was held under a cloak of secrecy however, demonstrates that there is nothing normal about the ongoing British Occupation of Ireland and that both the British and the Free State continue to view Revolutionary Irish Republicans as a threat.’
The spokesperson continued, ‘This pro imperialist junket only came to light because a member of the British Forces of Occupation, who should never of been here in the first place, and true to form engaged in a vicious assault during the course of the event and has now appeared in a Free State court. That the Free State has imposed reporting restrictions on the name and address of this Imperialist Soldier for fear he would be targeted by Republicans, demonstrates that the state views the Republican movement as a threat and has a very clear understanding that the Irish People are opposed to the ongoing occupation and partition of our country and the presence of British Soldiers anywhere in Ireland.
The hotels, golf clubs pubs and restaurants that facilitated the forces of occupation should hang there heads in shame. The profits you generated are nothing short of blood money steeped with the blood of people from Ireland, Palestine, Libya, Iraq and Afghanistan.’
The spokesperson concluded, ‘The British Occupation of Ireland will never be normal. The presence of British Soldiers and there colonial militia in Ireland will never be accepted. Our history demonstrates that so long as that illegal occupation continues their will be Revolutionary Irish Republicans to resist it. So-called ‘Bonds of Friendship’ can while our country is under occupation. In the words of the great Wicklow Socialist Republican Seamus Costello, ‘No foreign army under no matter which flag, will ever garrison Ireland in peace’.
An Phoblacht Abú’