Saoradh has been greatly pleased by the fascist/racist/troglodyte reaction to our presence at Saturday’s anti-fascist demonstration.

Each and every time they have attempted to foot a coherent response to our position they have exposed themselves for the crackpots they are. Among the most ludicrous of these was a livestream from Dublin-based ex-British army fascist Rowan Croft, and Gearóid Murphy- a walter mitty who turned to politics after being rejected at auditions for the Big Bang Theory. Gearóid and Croft, who hilariously calls himself ‘Grand Torino’, reckoned that the demonstration on Saturday was the most that antifascists could muster. Obviously when they did their research into Saoradh (which the “Irish Patriots” couldn’t even pronounce) they stuck to researching one-sided, bias, self-serving accounts. That is why they missed the fact that Belfast, Derry, Dublin, etc. have all featured Saoradh-organised demonstrations in which we have comfortably brought out thousands. If you don’t believe us, and you want to believe that we are what you claimed we are, we’ll happily bring those numbers and the rest to your streets- we’ll see how useful Tan Torino’s motley crew are then. I’m sure the people of the cities which bore witness to the Bloody Sunday and Ballymurphy massacres would be intrigued to hear the views of a gang which features ex-British soldiers and allies itself with British loyalists.

The crew of complete reprobates who emerged subsequently to defend the hate rally have reinforced the point that they are complete crackpots. This is unsurprising given that they are lead also by outright space cadets like Gemma O’Doherty, who propagates ‘lizard people’ theories, and Justin Barrett, a delusional neo-nazi who was mortified into silence for over a decade. There is also Hermann Kelly, who claims to be a nationalist from Derry, a city which has borne the brunt of British violence, yet he associates openly with British loyalist Jim Dowson. These people have shamelessly supported the anti-Republican, pro-unionist Ruth Dudley Edwards, and Ian O’Doherty who labelled the Easter Rising as a ‘terrorist act’.

There was a concerted effort to divide those who attended on Saturday. Saoradh was already part of a previous demonstration in opposition to the fascists last month. The Party has also challenged fascists in Belfast and other parts of Ireland. We didn’t turn up new to this. Saoradh was greatly pleased at the solidarity which was shown and we are well aware that others, although their ideas and ours do differ, were happy to work alongside us. Trade Unions and charities were quickly targeted by fascists, attempting to intimidate them with the threat of negative public opinion for having stood with ‘violent dissidents’ and ‘murderers’, citing the very media which they claim is corrupt and biased. To be clear, regardless of the views of anyone within Saoradh or their particular backgrounds, we are a political party which is not armed and certainly this party has never killed anyone. Our core beliefs, objectives and strategy are all stated clearly in our constitution. They also turned to outright lies regarding alleged violent attacks on women and children. As footage showed, the only children facing danger were those brought along by their racist mothers who yelled ‘paedos’ while gesturing toward their crotches. This is ironic given that this particular section of the right has spent a considerable period now threatening activists and encouraging and carrying out acts of violence. This is a result of misguided machismo, evident in Tan Torino’s attempts to portray his laughable ‘security’ having ran off when any semblance of confrontation arose as them posturing to be vigilant. In any case, we laugh at the delusions of those who think that dividing us from others will help their cause, when we would just as easily end you on our own.

Indeed some tried to claim that we were there to demonstrate against a protest for free speech. To be clear, the protest organised by the fascists was not for ‘free speech’ it was organised by open racists, xenophobes, homophobes, misogynists and right-wing reactionaries, all of whom fill the ranks of and lead Yellow Vest Ireland, the National Party and the Irish Freedom Party. They held signs and shouted slogans which reflected these views. Their position and the true intentions of their demonstration was evident long before they gathered at Leinster House on Saturday, and it will be apparent to anyone who may wish to view the footage and pictures from the day. As for defending Fine Gael: unlike the ‘patriots’, our members routinely face house raids, stop and searches, imprisonment, prison brutality and black propaganda at the hands of the imperialists and their lackies. How many of the ‘patriots’ face the prospect of being imprisoned by the special courts or having their doors kicked in and their families traumatised by Garda Special Branch? None of them, is the simple answer. So if Saoradh is defending FG, and the fascists are a threat to them, then why is it Saoradh’s activists and supporters that they target whilst these fools go unmolested?

It is obvious from many responses to Saturday’s events that a considerable section of those who attended the goons’ demonstration of hate were duped. The fascist demonstration was not about free speech. This is evident from the speeches offered by them, their chants, their signs and those who led the protest. They believed this was a protest for ‘free speech’ and ‘an end to censorship’. We would urge them to look past the thinly veiled intentions of the organisers. There are those who believed they were there for a righteous cause. It is unsurprising that they found themselves confused, confusion was the order of the day for fascists who waved Starty Plough flags whilst shouting anti-Socialist slogans (you couldn’t make it up). Many unbelievably argued that they were ‘Republican’. They even cite and misrepresent small pieces of text from Republican documents.

To exclude any ambiguity: ‘Right wing Republicans’ is an oxymoron. Allied at that demonstration were racists, xenophobes, and fascists. They are conservative- Republicanism is progressive. They are racist- Republicanism believes in the rights of man, regardless of nationality, religion or creed. They are fascist- Republicanism is inclusive. They are narrow nationalist, Republicanism is internationalist. They support capitalism- Republicanism is for public ownership. Latter day Republicanism has been shaped by documents such as the 1916 Proclamation, the Democratic Programme of the first Dáil and the Address to the Free Nations of the World. These called for the rights of humanity, not a particular nationality, they called for public ownership, not capitalist private ownership, they were written by, and contributed to, by immigrants and their descendants. You can not stand with the fascist gangs of Yellow Vest Ireland, the National Party and the Irish Freedom Party and use the banner of ‘Republicanism’.

Saoradh is a Republican Socialist Party. We aime to establish a 32-County Socialist Republic in Ireland. This cannot be achieved without the empowering and unity of the class of the oppressed. Racism, fascism and the various reactionary ideas serve to undermine this unity, and attacks on any section of the oppressed is in the interests of the unjust system of capitalism. Thus fascists, racists, xenophobes and the various reactionaries are a weapon of capitalism, they strengthen the system of oppression and undermine the resistance to it. They are the enemies of socialism- the enemies of freedom. They must be treated no differently to the forces of imperialism. It has been the force of Socialism which has overcame fascism and stemmed it consistently. Ireland will be no different.

Just a number of weeks ago Saoradh announced our intention to actively oppose the active fascism emerging in Ireland. We came good on that promise. Already we have witnessed the panicked response of the fascsist who previously believe themselves to be gathering pace. But we haven’t even gotten started with them. We will systematically crush this fascist gang, and we will take great pleasure whilst we bid them ‘Bella Ciao!’.