Richard Boyd Barrett: Declares Solidarity with Black Lives Matter
Richard Boyd Barrett spoke on 17 June 2020 about racism, systemic inequality and international solidarity, declaring absolute support for Black Lives Matter. He condemned the killing of George Floyd and argued that solidarity with Black people and people of colour is necessary both internationally and at home.
Speech summary
Richard Boyd Barrett declared absolute solidarity with Black Lives Matter and with the global wave of protest following the horrific killing of George Floyd. He said systemic racism is not limited to the United States but exists in this country as well, and called for active opposition to racism rather than mere condemnation.
Response to dismissive arguments
He addressed common social media pushback such as "all lives matter," arguing that such responses fail to recognise how Black people and people of colour are dehumanised and treated as lesser. He said it is precisely because "all lives matter" that specific solidarity with Black Lives Matter is required.
Domestic examples of racism
He cited domestic issues including article 27 - which he said denies equality and citizenship to some children born in this country - entrenched anti-traveller racism, and the allegation from eight victims in the James O'Reilly case. He highlighted cuts to traveller accommodation funding from 70 million euro a year to 4 million in 2015, low school completion rates for female travellers compared with settled females, and a much higher suicide rate among travellers.
Concerns about direct provision
He criticised the system of direct provision for segregating asylum seekers and refugees in what he described as inhumane and degrading conditions, and noted that many of those affected are people of colour seeking refuge in the country.
Historical context and internationalism
He invoked the Irish radical tradition of standing with the oppressed globally, referencing Damien Dempsey's song "Choctaw nation" and the Choctaw nation's historical solidarity. He argued that raising and confronting these issues is a duty consistent with that tradition rather than a betrayal of national interests.
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I think, Kean Corla, we mustn't just condemn racism, although of course we must, but we must fight against it and that's why certainly for our part in People Before Profit we declare absolute solidarity with Black Lives Matter and with the wave of protest across the world that has taken place in the aftermath of the horrific killing of George Floyd and the rightful recognition by vast numbers of people across the world. American across the world that that wasn't an isolated incident but was the deadly brutal consequence of systemic racism, widespread racism across America and across across the world. But of course when you say that for those who spend any time on social media you know that very quickly there'll be a torrent of abuse directed at you who'll say why are you going on about what's Black Lives Matter and what's going on about what's going on about what's going on about what's going on about what's going on in America what's that got to do with us surely all lives matter and of course what that sentiment fails to recognize deliberately sometimes is it is precisely because all lives matter that we must declare solidarity with the movement that says Black Lives Matter that the lives of Black Lives Matter that the lives of Black Lives Matter that the lives of black people and people of colour do not matter that they are somehow lesser that they are dehumanized and therefore it is acceptable to treat them as less than human and that is the essence of racism to turn people to turn people against one another by dehumanizing black people and people of colour. But as has been said if Trump is the most visible and blunt exponent of racism among leaders in the world today it is not something that is alien to this country and if people have already mentioned article 27 which denies equality and citizenship to children born to some children born in this country the anti-traveller racism which is the shame of this state of state which you know we see very possibly the horrific consequences of in the allegation that is made and seems very credible from the eight victims of James O'Reilly who suffered the most terrible abuse that their ethnic origin as travellers led to a poor response by the state in dealing with the horrific abuse that they suffered it's seen in the fact that in the aftermath of the crash of 2008 that the traveller accommodation program was caught from 70 million euro a year to 4 million in 2015 and that somehow that was deemed accessible that 13% of female travellers finish school as distinct from 70% of settled females and that travellers are six times more likely to die from suicide than people from the settled Settled community or of course the horrific system of direct provision which segregates asylum seekers and refugees in inhumane and degrading conditions that no person would accept for their own family or loved ones but which we seem to think are okay to inflict on people mostly of colour coming to this country looking for Settled community or looking for refuge and I would just say that to those who say we shouldn't raise these issues that in fact or that somehow this isn't our business the business of the Irish people to worry about these things that that sentiment is a betrayal of the Irish revolutionary and radical tradition which has always understood the need to stand with the oppressed and exploited wherever they are across the world I think of Damien Dempsey song Choctaw nation where he reminds people that the Choctaw nation of Native Americans who suffered at the hands of slavers and frontiers men often Irish men rather than respond by saying we don't care about the plight of the Irish when the Irish were suffering famine conditions in the 1840s sent money and aid and solidarity to the famine victims here in Ireland that sort of internationalism solidarity standing with the oppressed standing against racism is actually the duty and responsibility of people across the world but very particularly people in this country given our history
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