On the 12 Feburary, CYM members joined a protest jointly held by the Cork Palestine Solidarity Campaign and Cork Neutrality League at the docking of a Canadian warship in Cork city. The warship has been docked for refueling and resupply since Friday.
The protest was held to both protest the Canadian government continued support for the Israeli genocide in Gaza as well as the south’s continued erosion of our neutrality and increasing alignment with NATO.
The protest was well attended considering the short notice and time of day. Protesters made it clear to the Canadian sailors that they were not welcome in Cork, as well as highlighting the complicity of Canada in the on-going genocide.
Notably, a representative of the Defence Forces was seen leaving the warship accompanied by a Canadian officer and entering a van with Defence Forces markings.
Our members were threatened with arrest by the Gardaí for attempting to block this vehicle, again showing their class interest and the contrasting handling of protests targeting increasing militarisation and the recent far-right protest who were able to blockade roads and burn down buildings marked for refugees or homeless services with little or no consequences.
The warships presence was timely. Last week the government announced that they have entered a new partnership agreement which will allow the Defense Forces greater access to NATO resources and intelligence.
While the south has been a member of NATO’s ”Partnership for Peace” programme since 1999, but this new protocol – the Individual Tailored Partnership Programme (ITPP), which was set up in 2022 – will further incorporate the Irish ruling capitalist class with NATO militarism, ultimately leading Ireland down the path to full NATO membership.
We as communist youth must oppose this at every turn. We understand that it is young people who have the most to lose to increasing militarisation.
While NATO warships docking on our shores is an unwelcome development, it provides a legitimate target for any political protest or action. The political consciousness of the youth of Ireland has been brought to new heights by the resistance’s heroics and the subsequent cowardly Israeli genocide in Palestine.
As the most progressive force of our class we must channel this increased consciousness into action, both by providing education linking the on-going struggle in Palestine to the global struggle against imperialism and by leading escalating actions in targeting the imperialist military machine.
The best solidarity we can show to the Palestinian people is by globalising their struggle. Both by agitating and organising the youth against our own imperialist ruling class and directly targeting the imperialist war infrastructure where ever it raises its ugly head.