People Before Profit are fielding two candidates (Michael Collins, Gerry Carroll) in west Belfast for the Assembly elections. The hoarding above (on the Andersonstown Road) points to “the failure of established political parties” (“theıp ar na páırtıthe polaıtıúla bunaíochta”) and asks voters to “seize the opportunity” for change.
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“Ireland did not vote for Tory cuts. Break the connection with England. www.irsp.ie. Páırtí poblachtach sóısıalaıgh na hÉireann.”
This IRSP/INLA board outside the party offices on the Falls Road protests policies coming from the Westminster parliament and specifically the Conservatives. On the left-hand side of the board are an adjustable pipe-wrench (for IRSP) and a rifle (for INLA). The sticker on a post-box is in Cavendish Street.
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Flowers for James (Jim) Hughes, killed by stabbing, outside Divis Tower, where he lived, in November 2016. (Irish News | Belfast Telegraph)
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These two murals of five women and five babies at the rear of the Maureen Sheehan health care centre are entering (at least) their eighth year of existence and are showing their wear due to both the natural and human causes, such as graffiti and burning (see previously: A Philosophy of Liberation). For the murals in better condition (in 2010) see M05732 and M05733.
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“Hasta siempre, Comandante” is a 1956 song celebrating the life of Che Guevara, with Fidel Castro appearing in the final verse to join the Cuban people in saying “Hasta siempre, Comandante” to Che as he departs Cuba for the Simba Rebellion in Congo. The slogan is here applied to Fidel himself on the occasion of his death in November 2016 at the age of 90.
Here is French singer Nathalie Cardone’s version on the song, which reached #2 in France and #1 in Belgium in 1997:
The Castro mural is next to one for fellow Marxist Salvadore Allende of Chile: see La Historia Es Nuestra.
See also Hasta La Victoria Siempre.
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Children’s drawings of houses complete a mural for the Equality Can’t Wait/Build Homes Now (Fb | web) mural that has remained unfinished for a long time on Northumberland Street – the intermediate stage in the last image below, beneath a lamppost sticker for the campaign.
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“¡Hasta la victoria siempre!” (“Ever onward to victory!”) was a saying of Che Guevara’s. It is used in this mural as a valediction to Che comrade and long-time Cuban leader Fidel Castro, who died at the end of November (2016). The portrait of Castro is perhaps this Korda image of Castro entering Havana after the deposition of Batista in 1959.
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Two kids’ murals from the bottom of St James, where the ‘Garden Of Hope’ community farm is (and next to Music Is Our Drug), one showing various insects and the other (“St James Goes Wild”) showing the sun rising over a meadow of flowers.
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The solidarity mural for the outlawed Basque Askatasuna (Freedom) party at the junction of the Falls and Glen Road has been repainted and extended with the Irish and Basque flags on one side and various calls for justice on the other: “Scaoıltear saor uılıg ıad – Free them all”, “Over 350 political prisoners in Spanish and French jails.” “Tugtar abhaıle na cımı Bascacha”, “End dispersal of Basque prisoners now”.
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UVF volunteer William “Plum” Smith entered Long Kesh in 1972 at the age of 18 for his role in the attempted murder of a Catholic. After his release, he became an ITGWU shop steward, a community organizer, and spokesperson for the PUP. Smith died in June of this year (2016); the message in today’s images appears on the Cupar Way “peace” line.
Short bio from BalaclavaStreet | Gareth Mulvenna tweet of Plum’s bio at age 20 from the Orange Cross | Tele account of the funeral.
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Extramural Activity 