DISSIDENT REPUBLICANS are hijacking republicanism and using it for their own interests, Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams has claimed.
Addressing the annual Easter commemoration at the republican plot in west Belfast’s Milltown Cemetery, Mr Adams said: “I uphold the right of everyone to dissent from Sinn Féin’s point of view. But no one is entitled to hijack our proud republican history and our republican future, and abuse it for narrow, selfish interests or self-gain.”
He continued: “Sinn Féin, standing firmly on a republican platform, sets ourselves firmly against those elements who do this.”
Mr Adams claimed the relationship between Northern Ireland and Britain had been “fundamentally altered” and that an “increasingly confident republican community is taking co-ownership, as is our right . . . ”
The old days of a two-tier society in Northern Ireland had gone, never to return, he said. Sinn Féin was insisting on equality for all citizens while pursuing new political opportunities.
A peaceful and democratic path to a united Ireland has been opened up, he added.
“But that does not mean that we republicans can sit back and wait for the British government to do the right thing for Ireland. We need to organise for freedom.”
Explaining his remarks, he said: “The British government will only leave Ireland, when the Irish people – together – demand that they leave.”
Recalling a theme from his address to his party’s ardfheis in February, he said: “Sinn Féin’s historic duty is to popularise republicanism and to mobilise the Irish diaspora across the world behind the demand for Irish unity.”
His remarks follow earlier claims by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness at the weekend that vital progress on Irish reunification “can be made in the life of this assembly but even more importantly, in the life of the next assembly”.
He told the Irish News: “If it doesn’t happen in 2016 then we will be working to make it happen in 2017 or, as I am working towards, 2014.”
The Adams denunciation of republican dissidents follows another attack on Sinn Féin property at the weekend.
An arson attack on a party office in Derry’s Rathmore shopping centre caused smoke damage.
It follows an attack on the Derry home of Assembly member Mitchel McLaughlin last week.
Tensions between Sinn Féin and republicans who oppose it have risen in the wake of the murders of two British soldiers and a PSNI officer last month, particularly since Mr McGuinness branded dissidents as traitors to the cause of Ireland.
Sinn Féin was tasked with persuading unionists of the desirability of unity, Mr Adams told the commemoration.
“As genuine democrats and republicans, [we] recognise the validity and wisdom of Tone’s great call for the unity of Catholic, Protestant and dissenter, and that we are committed to bringing this about.”
He commended what he called “the volunteer soldiers of the Irish Republican Army and the activists of Sinn Féin and all others who gave their lives for Irish freedom”.
He added: “We are indebted to their families. Our resolve is to finish the work that they began and Sinn Féin is about uniting the greatest number of people in active support of this aim.”
The SDLP criticised Sinn Féin, with Assembly member Declan O’Loan dismissing Mr McGuinness’s claim of working toward unity by 2014 as “laughable”.
His party colleague, Dominic Bradley, said the use of violence in pursuit of political aims was “just plain wrong”.