Northern Ireland: Unite against sectarianism

A FIFTEEN year old Catholic school student, Michael McIlveen, was
brutally assaulted in a sectarian attack in Ballymena, County Antrim on
7 May. He made it home but then collapsed and was taken to hospital
where he died two days later.

Ciaran Mulholland, Belfast

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.

Several years ago there was a prolonged sectarian protest outside a
Catholic church in the Harryville area of the town. Given the level of
violence it was clear that someone would be killed sooner or later.

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 an 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.

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.

All the mainstream political parties condemned Michael’s murder, but
did so in a one-sided way. These parties of course base themselves on
sectarian division and are part of the problem not the solution.

Socialist Youth, the Socialist Party’s youth wing, intervened in
Ballymena 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’ ".

Fifteen members leafleted outside all the schools, 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.

The response has been positive. A number of young people have come
forward and Socialist Youth hopes to form a branch in the town in the
coming weeks.

The struggle against sectarian attacks and for a better life for
young working-class people doesn’t end with Michael’s funeral. The best
way to mark his short life is to build a united movement of young people
in Ballymena that can challenge sectarianism in all its forms.