Éirígí Responds To Establishment Smear Campaign
To the many journalists who have contacted Éirígí over the last 72 hours - we want you to know that we will not be joining the political establishment's witch hunt of Irish republicans. Nor will we be answering your questions about current or former members of Éirígí.
We understand that every question we answer will lead to ten more questions that are inspired not by the public interest but by a desire to reinforce a false narrative about Éirígí and the Irish republican struggle. We have no interest in playing your games.
Freedom of speech, freedom of association and freedom to politically organise are among the most important of civil rights. In recent days those rights have been systematically and repeatedly attacked by government ministers, election candidates and high profile journalists.
Politician and journalist alike have used the national media to launch attack after attack on Éirígí. The most serious allegations possible have been levelled at Éirígí by members of government - lies that have no basis in fact - lies that have been unchallenged by journalists.
The self-appointed fact-checkers of RTÉ and The Irish Times were unusually silent when a government minister described an open, democratic, registered political party as a 'terrorist organisation'. One outrageous, dangerous and easily disprovable lie among the many lies of recent days.
Not one journalist has challenged the anti-republican group-think. Not one journalist has questioned the establishment narrative that Éirígí is 'anti-peace' or 'supports violence', or most seriously that the political party is a 'terrorist organisation'.
Not one journalist or media outlet appears to have done their job - to have taken the time to do the most basic of research - to find out what Éirígí's position on armed struggle actually is.
If they did, they would know that Éirígí was formed to provide a left-wing republican alternative to the dead-end electoralism offered by Sinn Féin and the dead-end militarism offered by armed groups. Éirígí formed to provide a third way for republicans to drive positive change in Ireland.
As Irish republicans we defend the right of any citizen to freely join the political party of their choice and to promote their political views without fear of persecution by the state.
As Irish republicans we stand in defiance of the smear campaign that the state and their guttersnipe journalist allies are waging against Éirígí and the republican cause. We will not buckle to their demands or compromise our politics to seek their approval.