Vol. 3- No 26
Tuesday June 27th 2006
E-mail newsletter of the
Irish Republican Socialist Party
1) Editorial
2) The IRSP and Kevin Lynch commemoration.
3) African Liberation Day Report
4) Eviction protest
5) Gay Pride
6) Urban Myths
7) Letters-
8) From The Newspapers
a. Without comment.
b Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
Editorial.
The IRSP fully support the Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry Gaol on protest and we call on all our members and supporters to fully engage with any protests held in support of the prisoners.
In 2003 protests against forced integration with loyalist and criminal prisoners were held by the republican prisoners. The former head of the British prison service, John Steele, proposed that segregation be reintroduced to ensure the Health & Safety of prisoners. Subsequently there were negotiations with the Steele Commission leading to the expectation that after segregation was achieved then conditions would improve for the prisoners.. But after the transfer to Roe House the conditions have steadily declined. For example prisoners can be refused entry to the segregated wing on the basis of either PSNI or prison authority opinion that they are not qualifying prisoners. This endangers the lives of republicans who are refused segregation as they are then fair game for loyalist and criminal elements.
So called `teething problems' that senior NIPS officials promised would be temporary are now standard practice. For example conditions for those who opt for leaving the general prison population are deplorable and it appears to be a form of revenge from the authorities. There is what is known as the "good day, bad day" policy
operating within the prison.
On a "bad day" the Republican POWs are subjected to up to 23-hours' lock-up, strip-searches and rub-downs; the screws have prisoners strip the clothes from the top of their bodies before being searched, and are again searched after replacing their clothes and stripping the bottom half of their body. This is allows the authorities to deny that strip-searches occur within Maghaberry Gaol. EU legislation defines strip searching them as full-body searches with all clothes removed at the one time. The vindictive policy of the prison authorities has even seen one prisoner searched a total of eleven times in one day including strip searches. Also prisoners have been searched on their way to and from legal visits, and in some instances made to miss the visit altogether.
There is no free association: and there is a lack of educational opportunities which are available to other prisoners. There are new restrictions on parole and compassionate parole which has led to many prisoners refusing parole because of the draconian conditions.
All of this has to be seen in a political context. The Good Friday Agreement (GFA) which the provisional republican movement (PRM) bought into did away with the political status achieved by the deaths of 10 republican hunger strikers 25 years ago. It is ironic that the PRM celebrate those same hunger strikers while condoning the loss of the privileges won by some men. Furthermore it is now clear that the PRM are using the 25th anniversary to cement their political position. In a speech in Derry following a Sinn Fein march from the home of Mickey Devine to the home of Patsy O’Hara, both INLA volunteers, Martin Mc Guiness made the outrageous claim that the 10 hunger strikers would have supported the Sinn Fein strategy and the GFA. Nobody knows what stance they would have taken.
There is a clear policy at work to criminalise, in the eyes of the people, republicans who do not toe the establishment line. The establishment of pseudo gangs, purporting to be republicans and carrying out actions to discredit republicanism itself, is in full swing under the control of British intelligence. Accusations of money laundering, drug dealing and criminality are regularly printed in the press written by some journalist in the pay of British intelligence. Some of these stories are unfortunately assisted by former republicans who have abandoned republican principles to enrich themselves.
The prison policy is part of the criminalisation policy. They are seeking to destroy the prisoners - both mentally and physically. Support the republican prisoners.
The IRSP and Kevin Lynch commemoration.
The IRSP have pulled out of a hunger-strike commemoration with Sinn Féin next month in protest at the increasing political manipulation of the prisoners' deaths.
We object to Gerry Adams being one of the main speakers at the rally. Hunger-strike commemorations are increasingly becoming election stunts by Sinn Féin's Belfast leadership. Three INLA prisoners – Patsy O'Hara, Kevin Lynch and Mickey Devine – died in the 1981 fast.
For a number of years the annual commemoration for hunger-striker Kevin Lynch, in Dungiven, Co Derry has featured both IRSP and Sinn Fein speakers.
Representatives of the republican socialist movement recently had a meeting in Dungiven with representatives of the Lynch family, PSF and the '81 committee to discuss events on the day. A number of protocols were agreed upon;
1/ not turning the event into an electioneering event for PSF, after Martin McGuinness's remarks in Derry,
2/ it was agreed that no prominent PSF people such as McGuinness or Adams would speak,
3/ the RSM band would lead the parade followed by the RSM colour party, and local PSF reps could speak but not claim that INLA volunteers died for the GFA.
The following week the ‘81 committee in Dungiven overturned these decisions and stated, ''the irps can come wearing white shirts, black ties and trousers and we will fit them in somewhere.'' No RSM colour party was to be allowed as it might embarrass Adams who is to be the main speaker.
However, Eddie McGarrigle of the IRSP said
"We have decided to no longer take part in this joint commemoration. At a hunger-strike rally in Derry last month, Martin Mc Guinness declared that the hunger-strikers would have supported Sinn Féin's current strategy. This is offensive to the politics of the INLA hunger-strikers."
McGarrigle said the IRSP had "good relations with the local provisional republican leadership in Dungiven and North Derry" whom he described as "honourable republicans".
"We had no problem with them addressing the rally but the Belfast Sinn Féin leadership imposed Gerry Adams. We are not having the entire commemoration turned into another Sinn Féin election stunt. They also banned a republican socialist colour party. We will now hold our own parade."
PSF have brass necks in their attempts to claim all the hunger strikers would have supported their political position. That tired old argument that they all died together fighting the same cause therefore they would all be united today does not hold up to any type of serious scrutiny. It must also be remembered that the INLA hunger strikers also demanded autonomy and separation from the PRM during the hunger strikes, a demand only eventually conceded in the mid nineties.
How would PSF feel if the RSM had a march from Joe McDonnell’s house to Bobby Sands house and claim outside the houses that the 'hunger strikers were great political thinkers and undoubtedly would have supported the political position of the RSM. That’s exactly what McGuinness had the audacity to do.
AFRICAN LIBERATION DAY REPORT
6-7-06
On 27 May a group of activists representing the Irish Republican Socialist Movement and the recently-formed Irish Political Status Coalition travelled to Chicago for African Liberation Day. ALD is an international holiday celebrating African resistance and solidarity, organised by the All African People’s Revolutionary Party (AAPRP). The IRSM has expressed solidarity with our comrades on ALD for over two decades now. This year the theme of the event was “A United States of Africa is the key to our
economic independence”.
After a morning of panel discussions, the march began. It travelled in a wide circle through Chicago’s predominantly African-American South Side; the only white people to be seen apart from the IRSM/IPSC group were police officers wearing bullet proof vests. On every block the column marched through, people were seen coming out of the shops and their homes to witness the event. Nearly all noted their approval and support by nodding, calling out to us, or joining in our chants. Quite a few came up and asked for more information, and a few called out greetings upon seeing the Irish tricolour. We happily picked up a few local people who joined our number.
The march stewards directed the chants from a van as they cruised beside he crowd with chants such as ‘FBI, CIA / Ain’t nothin’ but the KKK!’.
We wound our way back to the start of the march and were treated to some very good food from our comrades in the All African People’s Revolutionary
Party. Then the speeches began; there were excellent contributions from a wide spectrum of groups such as the AAPRP, the American Indian Movement
and Pan-Africanist Congress. Before the IRSM representative spoke, the MC gave an introduction and explained to the crowd of over one hundred people that the struggle in Ireland is not about religion but for national liberation and socialism. After Tj Ó Conchúir read an IRSM solidarity statement before the crowd, there were two ovations and many calls of support and agreement.
Throughout the event, the IRSM/IPSC group were overwhelmed by the amount of support and interest they were given. Though we had brought along a decent amount of literature, it was quickly absorbed by interested parties. There was a very inclusive and community-oriented spirit throughout. We made contact with several friendly AIM members, the Zapatista Prisoners of Conscience Support Group and the Pan-Africanist Congress, who were all intent on building this contact. The PAC representative was in particular very interested in the status of Irish POWs, and he described the dire situation of POWs in South Africa who still languish in prison while their leadership becomes rich.
We look forward to future work with our friends and comrades. We would like to thank everyone who made the event such a success, in particular
our comrades in the All African People’s Revolutionary Party for inviting and welcoming us. We would also like to thank the Chicago Unit of the Irish Freedom Committee for their generous assistance!
Eviction protest
Traveller organisations and community groups protested today (24th June 2006) outside Dail Eireann at the forced eviction of a lone parent family in Fermoy, North Cork.
The members of Traveller organisations from Mayo, Tullamore, Galway, LImerick, Clare, Kildare and Dublin were joined by community groups including OPEN, Residents Against Racism and the Children’s Rights Alliance.
The Irish Traveller Movement called the protest at short notice to voice opposition to the use of the Trespass legislation. This Act criminalizes trespass on public and private land. Section 24 of the Public Order Act as amended by the Housing (Miscellaneous Provisions)
Act, 2002, provides that:
“a person without the consent of the owner, shall not enter or occupy any land or bring on to that land any object which might either damage the land or effect any amenity attaching to the land or prevent other people using the land”
The woman in question had her caravan impounded and was also detained in Garda custody for a period of time, an act which clearly negates individual, Traveller and children's’ human rights.
This Act is being utilised despite the fact that local authorities have failed to provided sufficient Traveller accommodation as legislated for in the Traveller Accommodation Act (1998). The Traveller Accommodation Act placed an obligation on local authorities to meet existing and projected accommodation needs of Travellers in the Traveller Accommodation Programmes (TAPs) 2000-2004. However, only 3 out of 34 local authorities met their estimated need in this period. There are currently 601 families living on the side of the road with no facilities or services being provided, and many more living and sharing extremely overcrowded accommodation. It is within this context that the Trespass legislation is targeting the most vulnerable Traveller families, despite continued opposition to the legislation from Traveller and community groups.
Gay Pride
Members of Dublin IRSP attended the Gay Pride march, which took place on Saturday June 24th 2006. Thousands of people participated in the parade that departed from the Garden of Remembrance at 2 pm. Dublin IRSP totally abhors the recent spate of attacks on gay people in Dublin city centre and today showed solidarity with Dublin’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Community who also experience prejudice and discrimination on a daily basis. The IRSP will continue to challenge prejudice and homophobia whilst working towards a non discriminatory society.
Urban Myths
There is a tiny insignificant organisation based in California and run by Peter Urban purporting to be the International Republican Socialist Network (IRSN) which claims to “defend the IRSM as the organization representing the most advanced consciousness of the Irish working class and to provide both morale and financial support to the IRSM 's present and former prisoners of war.”
It does no such thing. The IRSN is a vehicle only for attacks on the leadership of the Republican Socialist movement. Urban was a former comrade who when instructed by the entire leadership to establish a collective leadership for the IRSCN in the USA launched a bitter personal attack on one of our comrades and made lying accusations against the same comrade. He was expelled for this. Urban has no friends or supporters in the Republican Socialist Movement.
Recently he has again launched more attacks on our movement. In an article about the recent decision by ETA to call a ceasefire he castigates the INLA for not responding (i.e. issuing a statement ) about an alleged threat from the Red Hand Commando. As if public statements from the INLA would either reassure nationalists or frighten the RHC. It is clear that British intelligence agents have been working for years with their informers to raise sectarian tensions and they regularly issue threats against individuals and groups using the cover name or pseudo gangs. One time Billy Hutchinson formerly of the UVF and a member of the PUP, was told by the police when in the BBC that an INLA hit squad was on its way to assassinate him. Of course there was no squad but the aim was to height loyalist fears and create sectarian strife. Only within the past week the IRSM unmasked an agent within our ranks who established a so-called unit of the INLA to burn Orange halls in Counties Antrim and Derry.
Now Urban has attacked this publication-the Plough.
“It is with great sadness that we distribute the most recent issue of The Plough, the electronic periodical of the IRSP.- “sporadic in its release”
And goes on to attack the editorial in the Plough Vol 3-25. He is entitled to disagree with what we write. Although of course he has managed once again to get it completely wrong. The Plough was never meant to be a weekly publication. It is an occasional publication.
Urban has created a fantasy in his head about the republican Socialist movement and is totally divorced from the actual reality not only of the movement but of politics in Ireland
If Peter Urban, was not so fixated with hatred for one individual in the IRSP, was not a cheer leader for armed struggles as far away from San Francisco as possible, was seriously involved in class struggles in his native country, or knew what he was talking about then we would perhaps respond to his increasing hysterical rants. But the IRSP has no time for people who steal our movement’s property, slander comrades and are obsessed with their own egos.
From the newspapers
Without comment.
The Irish National Liberation Army has offered informers a one-week amnesty after claiming to have uncovered a PSNI Special Branch agent in County Derry. Sources close to the INLA leadership last night claimed that a51-year-old man, whose identity is known to Daily Ireland, this week confessed to working for PSNI Special Branch for the past 12 months. It has been claimed the man, who comes from the north of the county, was responsible for setting up and recruiting a number of young people into a phoney INLA cell in south Derry.
INLA sources last night claimed that the man admitted on tape to having organised a number of attacks on Orange halls in south Derry in recent weeks on the instructions of Special Branch handlers.
A source close to the INLA's leadership last night said the organisation is offering a one-week amnesty to all informers.
"It is noteworthy that this man has not been killed. There is now a one-week amnesty for all informers to come forward. This man was told to recruit members into the INLA and was trying to start tensions with other republican groupings. He was responsible for passing on information, both real and false. He would have portrayed himself as a senior INLA figure."
The outing of the alleged informer comes just two months after IRA informer Denis Donaldson was gunned down in his County Donegal hideout by unknown attackers. Last year the former senior IRA man and Sinn Féin official admitted to working as an informer for Special Branch and British intelligence for two decades. (Daily Ireland)
Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee was established to provide practical support and solidarity to Catalan political prisoners, their supporters as well as information on the continuing struggle for self determination and socialism in Catalonia to challenge the media portrayal on political militants that are being fuelled by a regime, its media, its paramilitary forces, and mounting repressive laws and legislations.
In order to assist these goals we have established an online news and information service to comment on the current political situation within Catalonia, from within the prisons and on the streets.
As part of our work we aim to provide information events, pickets and solidarity protests etc to highlight various campaigns and activities and to raise awareness of the political situation in Catalonia.
We urge both Catalans living in Ireland and other non-Catalans across Ireland to write to Catalan Political Prisoners, offering them both continued solidarity and support.
We intend to issue regular news, comments & activities via email by Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse!
At present our website is under construction however, we hope that our work will inspire you to find out more!
www.catalansolidarity.org
Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse!
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The Republican Socialist Youth Movement have re-launched their website.
It can be viewed at
www.rsym.org
An Glór / The Voice
News sheet of Belfast Republican Socialist Youth Movement
January 2007
Circulation: 400
- Brit police never acceptable
- Maghaberry Prison protest continues
- Assets Recovery Agency, a question of money
- Support the Turkish death fast
- Ard Fheis rejects any move towards INLA decommissioning
- Volunteer Davy McNutt RIP
http://www.rsym.org/pdf/magazines/anGlor1.pdf
The Republican Socialist Youth Movement have produced a short video on the situation concerning Shannon airport and its continued use by American troops and the CIA. The video can be viewed at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bH0WqJb95l8
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