West of Scotland Band Alliance
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The West of Scotland Band Alliance, are the oldest Republican marching organisation in Scotland formed in 1979. They march to promote the establishment of a 32 County Socialist Republic of Ireland. The band alliance regularly organise events to commemorate Irish republicans who have died in the struggle for Irish unity and events to remember innocent victims of the Troubles (e.g., The Shankill Bombing). The Band alliance enjoy support from Republicans of all political views.
The Band Alliance states that it is currently an independent organisation which fully supports the Good Friday Treaty, although this has been called into question as anti-Treaty banners are usually found on their parades.
The organisation declared their support for former member and Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoner Michael Dickson imprisoned for an attack on the Osnabrück barracks in Germany and are the only republican organisation in Scotland to do so.
The Alliance is made up of Six Republican Flute Bands:
- Parkhead Republican Flute Band
- Pollok and Thornliebank Republican Flute Band
- James Larkin Republican Flute Band (Liverpool)
- Charles Carrigan Republican Flute Band
- Brendan Hughes Republican Flute Band
- Erin Go Bragh Flute Band
Formation
In October 1979 a meeting took place in the East End of Glasgow with the Three flute bands that existed in the city at that time: The James Connolly RFB, The Billy Reid RFB and The Kevin Barry RFB. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the infamous battle that took place on 21 April on Victoria Road in Glasgow when republicans were marching in support of the blanket protest in Long Kesh. As the march made its way down Victoria Road it came under sustained attack from Ulster loyalists, resulting in several band members being injured.
After the events of that day, it was decided that republicans should organise themselves into one organisation. The West of Scotland Republican Band Alliance was formed. All future marches would be organised by the Band Alliance committee. At their peak in the mid 1980s, there were 18 flute bands in the Band Alliance.