6 November 1997 Edition

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Unionists `playing games' - Adams

Gerry Adams got a standing ovation at Derry's Guildhall on Monday night after challenging both Unionists and nationalists. Stating bluntly that what we have now is not peace, but the opportunity for peace, he said, ``Change is required. It is about creating justice and until we actually bring about this change, until we ring-fence it and anchor it, then we can't say that we have peace. To achieve this, nationalists must make this phase of the struggle their own.''

Adams asserted that while David Trimble's Unionists were at the talks at Stormont, they were only `playing games', and that the difference between his Unionists and Paisley's was a purely tactical one. He reminded his audience that even though their parents and grannies struggled for civil rights 30 years ago, it was their heavy responsibility to complete the same struggle at the crucial phase.

Adams claimed that ``elements of society are against change. Let us be in no doubt that resistance to change is not confined only to leaders of Unionism. Other sections of society too profit from the status quo, and want to thwart even the most minimal change.''

Unionists have not gone beyond saying that they will agree to some kind of devolved assembly elected on the basis of proportional representation. What is required from the Unionists is open discussion.''We want to be generous, to be flexible, to be open to the Unionists of this statelet. We know that they are going to be here on this island with us forever and we want to be open in building a new island, building a society on this island which reflects the rich diversity of all our people.''

He warned, ``It is crucial that we, who have been at the receiving end of so much injustice and repression, realise where unionists are coming from as they face up to these challenges. Unionism at that political level believes that every move forward for justice is to the advantage of nationalists and the disadvantage of unionists.''

Adams directly challenged Trimble: ``From my contact and in my party's contact with ordinary Unionists and in being involved in strategic outreach with Unionists for many, many years now, I believe that if David Trimble gave positive leadership to his section of our people, he would meet with a positive response.''

Adams also had a message for the two governments. ``Those who wish to govern us, whether they be in Dublin or in London, must be the engine for this change. The Unionist position is one of refusing to engage, of trying to use a veto to minimise, to impede, to reduce or spin out the changes which are possible. Tony Blair must say to Unionists that the old game is over. Only the British government can say this. The Unionist leaders know that and that's the challenge facing Blair and the rest of the British government.''

Adams stressed throughout the need for the people to take ownership of this phase of the struggle, and not leave it to negotiators in a room in Stormont. ``Individually, we can make a wee bit of history. Collectively, people living in Derry on the cusp of the millennium, people throughout this island, can make history on a grand scale. Part of making that history is making friends with the Unionists. They lack a vision of the future, [they have] only a vision of the past, in old clichés. Our vision must be of the future of peace and prosperity, of an island where everyone has a stake.''

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