Remember Remember The 5th Of November, 2014 update - #MillionMaskMarch #OpIreland

As Usual, Not much publicity at all on the MSM about this date..Obviously a date and a sentiment the establishment would like us to forget, but in light of the recent austerity measures both here and in Britain and the rise of the conservatives again as a force to be reckoned with in British politics, Here at indy, we think this event needs to be remembered. We kinda like the idea of somebody wiping out the whole rotten establishment in one fell swoop

The Gunpowder Plot was a failed assassination attempt against King James I of England and VI of Scotland by a group of provincial English Catholics led by Robert Catesby. Their aim was to blow up the Houses of Parliament on 5 November 1605, while the King and the entire Protestant aristocracy and nobility were inside. The conspirator who became most closely associated with the Plot in the popular imagination was Guy Fawkes, who had been assigned the task of lighting the fuse to the explosives.

Guy Fawkes A potted history:

Guy Fawkes (13 April 1570 – 31 January 1606), also known as Guido Fawkes, the name he adopted while fighting for the Spanish in the Low Countries, belonged to a group of provincial English Catholics who planned the failed Gunpowder Plot of 1605.

Fawkes was born and educated in York. His father died when Fawkes was eight years old, after which his mother married a recusant Catholic. Fawkes later converted to Catholicism and left for the continent, where he fought in the Eighty Years' War on the side of Catholic Spain against Protestant Dutch reformators. He travelled to Spain to seek support for a Catholic rebellion in England but was unsuccessful. He later met Thomas Wintour, with whom he returned to England.

Wintour introduced Fawkes to Robert Catesby, who planned to assassinate King James I and restore a Catholic monarch to the throne. The plotters secured the lease to an undercroft beneath the House of Lords, and Fawkes was placed in charge of the gunpowder they stockpiled there. Prompted by the receipt of an anonymous letter, the authorities searched Westminster Palace during the early hours of 5 November, and found Fawkes guarding the explosives. Over the next few days, he was questioned and tortured, and eventually he broke. Immediately before his execution on 31 January, Fawkes jumped from the scaffold where he was to be hanged and broke his neck, thus avoiding the agony of the drawing and quartering that followed.

Fawkes became synonymous with the Gunpowder Plot, which has been commemorated in England since 5 November 1605. His effigy is burned on a bonfire, often accompanied by a firework display.

Has it any real relevance today

Well the actual reasons for the plot were mainly religious and in that sense probably not. But as a great symbol of rebellious courage and ambition in that they plotted to blow up the houses of parliament complete with all their corrupt leaders and aristocracy inside, it has no equal.

Clearly it has also inspired the filmmaker of " V for Vendetta". Which has in it's turn has become a symbol for the Anonymous movement.
V for vendetta speech

In these days of oppressive governments imposing crucifying austerity measures on the poor in our society to pay for the gambles of their rich friends in finance and construction, in these days where we have little say in the thinly veiled slavery that passes for most of our lives, dictated by governments that don't care about their people and enforced by increasingly violent and unaccountable police forces and controlled by systematic violations of our civil liberties both in the digital realm and in our daily lives as we pass from one cctv camera to the next.. Kept in a state of constant fear and confusion and fed a daily diet of the lowest dumbed down media it is possible to create, and a constant stream of lies and distortions that passes for news, whilst education budgets are cut further and further. In these days, I think such an act of rebellion has great symbolic value and reminds us that our lords and masters are still quite vulnerable to those with strong conviction and courage.

Perhaps we should use this day as an opportunity to reflect on the idea that a government with no fear of it's citizens, if left to it's own devices will only serve it's own interests and quickly and systematically erode everything our people have fought and died for over the centuries in our country. The Governments both here and abroad need to feel that deep and gutteral fear of their citizens again. Its the only way that they will have any respect for and work in the interests of the people..

Here's to the students, the pensioners, the rossport protesters, eirigi, shannonwatch, ploughshares, animal rights activists, Anti GM , environmental, Right2Water, Anonymous, and all other NVDA protesters whose actions still manage to bring a tremble to the political knees of corrupt greedy uncaring and self serving political establishment. Lets show courage in our NVDA protests in the face of state brutality and furthermore lets stand together and united come voting time and make those political knees tremble even more and not in a good way. after all THEY work for US.

And here's to the deep seated dogged rebellious spirit of the Irish, hidden for so long but slowly awakening now. Long may it reign. Belated Happy November 5th to all dedicated activists who use this site. I raise my glass to you all.