U2 blasts I.R.A. at S.F. rock concert

Scan page 14

By SUZANNE SAN FRANCISCO-20,000 fans crowded into San Francisco's Justin Herman Plaza on Nov. 11 to hear a surprise free concert by the Irish rock band U2. News of the show was spread through rumors and radio announcements just one hour before the show began.

Bandleader Bono Hewson opened the show by announcing sarcastically that the band had decided to play in San Francisco's financial district as a charity performance for big business and a hat would be passed around afterwards.

Things turned ugly, though, when Bono stopped in the middle of "Sunday Bloody Sunday" to chastise fans holding up a banner reading "U2—S.F."

"Sunday Bloody Sunday," one of U2's most popular songs, is a protest against the violence in Northern Ireland. Bloody Sunday occurred on Jan. 30, 1972, when the British Parachute Regiment shot dead 13 unarmed civil-rights demonstrators during a march in Derry.

Bono shames the fans Bono, claiming the banner's initials "S.F." stood for Sinn Fein (the political party associated with the Irish Republican Army), took the opportunity to blast Sinn Fein and the I.R.A. for the Nov. 8 bombing which accidentally killed 11 civiAСTIОЛ lians and resulted in retaliatory shootings of five Catholics.

Bono tried to shame the fans for making the banner, and he called Sinn Fein "bastards." He went on to say that the violence in Ireland would be ended someday and the country united-but not by bullets.

The audience reaction was one of shock. It was pretty obvious that the "S.F." on the banner had stood for San Francisco, and that Bono had an ax to grind and was just looking for any excuse to voice his opinions.

Singling out the fans with the banner and directing all his comments to them seemed particularly obnoxious.

Hysteria against "terrorism"

Killings of innocent civilians don't accomplish anything and only give ammunition to the British and their Unionist supporters.

When the I.R.A. employs these methods, it gives credibility to the argument that legitimate armed self-defense by the Catholic minority in the North is on the same level as both the British terrorism.

Nevertheless, although it wasn't wrong of Bono as a supporter of a united Ireland to criticize the I.R.A. action, the essence of his remarks was reactionary.

With Bono's popularity, his diatribe only added to the media hysteria against "terrorism." Unity is needed even more in the face of increasing attacks against civil rights.

Bono's tirade was particularly unforgiveable in the current climate when the British are beginning a wave of arrests (not only of suspected I.R.A. partisans, but Sinn Fein A TRIBUTE TO WRITER, ORGANIZER, REVOLUTIONARY supporters as well) and pressuring the Irish Republic for an extradition agreement.

"Silver and Gold"

After the song was over, the concert returned to a friendly tone, and the band played "Helter Skelter" and a sing-along version of "Help" by the Beatles.

But politics returned to the scene when they played "Silver and Gold," an anti-apartheid song written by Bono for the Artists Against Apartheid album "Sun City" two years ago. Bono again interrupted the show to explain the song and his opposition to apartheid.

He went on to explain that "silver and gold" were the reason behind apartheid and U.S. support for the South African goverment.

The concert left me with mixed feelings. The band gave an exhilarating performance. But Bono's confused outburst against Sinn Fein left me cold.

This is a book about George Breitman by those who knew him personally or through his work. (163 pages plus photos). Price:$5.00.

Published by Fourth Internationalist Tendency. Order from FIT: P.O. Box 1947, New York, N.Y. 10009.

Scan page 15

struggles that the British working class was Solidarity with other workers' struggles was a constant preoccupation for Thornett and his comrades. In particular, the book takes up the actions supporting low-paid women college cleaners, hospital workers, and workers at the British Leyland transmission plant in Basingstoke. Obviously, supporting the epic struggles of waging

----- pull-quotes -----

GEORGE BREITMAN