Tuesday 27 June 2006

The Plough Vol 03 No 26

The Plough
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 SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS

Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse!

E-news service of the Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
To obtain this regular eservice Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse!, forward „SUBSCRIBE‰ to the following e-mail: catalansolidarity@hotmail.com






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It is the policy of the Plough to acknowledge information and articles from other sources.



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



Subscribe to the bi-monthly “The Starry Plough/An Camchéachta”

P.O. Box 1981, Derry, BT48 8GX, Ireland.

THE VOICE OF REPUBLICAN SOCIALISM!

E-mail plough@irsm.org



The Starry Plough

http://irsm.org/irsp/starryplough



IRSP: Pairtí Poblachtach Sóisialach na h-Éireann

http://irsm.org/



James Connolly Society

http://www.marxists.org/archive/connolly/



James Connolly Archive

http://www.marxists.org/archive/connolly



The Republican Socialist Forum from Derry IRSP is

http://rsmforum.proboards23.com/index.cgi



Republican Socialist Online Merchandise - Website

A website that offers a central place to go on the Internet to find good quality items with a distinct Republican Socialist theme. Proceeds from sales from this effort go towards the IRSM and it’s various projects.

http://www.angelfire.com/folk/irishshop/index.html



Donate to the IRSP:



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Wednesday 14 June 2006

The Plough Vol 03 No 25

The Plough
Vol. 3- No 25

Wednesday June 14th 2006

E-mail newsletter of the
Irish Republican Socialist Party






1) Editorial



2) Economic fallout unfold in working class communities



3) Chicago Hunger Strike Commemorative Film



4) Immigrant Detention Centres



5) Statement of the Israeli Communist Forum (19/5/2006)



6) Massacres In Iraq



7) International Justice Day



8) What’s on







Editorial.



Much has happened since the last edition of the Plough; a young catholic beaten to death in Ballymena, a Unionist leader who finally admits that political unionism nurtured loyalist paramilitaries, DUP politicians who gloss over or deny sectarianism, the raging debate over the Richard O’Rawe allegations about the 1981 hunger strike, workers sacked for holding a union meeting and of course the farcical goings on in Stormont. Meanwhile in the South of Ireland the ongoing rush towards privitisation continues under the banner of outsourcing and the last remaining vestiges of Irish neutrality are whittled away by defence minister Willie O’Dea. On the international stage the ongoing occupation of Iraq has intensified sectarian divisions and is increasingly unpopular in both the USA and Britain. The attempt by the USA to make political capital out of the tragic suicides of three prisoners of war in Quantanamo shows the utter callowness of the USA administration.



The forces of the revolutionary left in Ireland are weak and small. There is not much that we can do about the so-called big issues other than encourage people to turn out on demos and pickets. But as the recent public meeting in Dublin on republicanism showed there is a desire for a realignment of revolutionary forces out there.



The IRSP has always worked towards a broad front with other forces. But a major difference we have with the Pan nationalist front that Sinn Fein, the Irish Government and the SDLP built is that we advocate in any alliance, the leading role of the working class. That is central to our approach, our policies and our philosophy.



The failure of the armed struggle waged to achieve a united Ireland has to be looked at objectively, analysed and lessons learned from that struggle. The failure to put the needs of the working class to the front of that struggle is we believe the fundamental reason that the struggle failed. Why should the vast majority of working people put their faith trust and belief in republicans if those same republican only deliver slightly sexier polices than the previous generation of politicians?



Be assured that what Sinn Fein is now advocating is in essence no different from what both Unionists and Nationalists advocated in the past. The end result of their policies has been to carve up the North of Ireland into various sectarian homelands where unscrupulous property developers smarmy business people and profiteers make hay while the sun shines. The Northern Ireland Office (NIO), the arm of the British ruling class in Ireland, assidulously prepares the ground for the further erosion of public assets and their sale to private interests. In the meantime many of the former foot soldiers who fought the war are discarded onto the scrap heap and kill the pain of defeat by dependency on one drug or another.



But simply because the armed struggle did not achieve its objectives does not mean that one simply gives up and retires to private life as many former ex-combatants have done. Rather we must turn to the working class to form the bed rock of the struggle.The forging of an alliance between republicanism and the labour movement would create a mighty weapon for struggle.We urge all republican to turn towards the working class movements, get active in the unions and raise issues that while relevant to the immediate interests of working also form a bridge towards more radical and revolutionary demands..



Economic fallout unfold in working class communities



‘Underbelly of 26 Counties Exposed’ - 10/06/2006

Republican Socialist Youth Movement – www.rsym.org



The figures recently released by the Combat Poverty Agency in the 26 counties make worrying reading but are not at all surprising to those that have been watching the economic fallout unfold in working class communities on the back of the Celtic Tiger economic boom over recent years.



The underbelly of the state has been exposed, we see it clearer now than ever before. While the media heralds these times as times of opportunity and investment, it is clear to us that working class estates and inner city areas have been long forgotten about by the Leinster House

politicians.



While the inner city is overshadowed by the heightening Dublin skyline, there are severe social and economic problems that are ignored. Through poor state social planning, there is a considerable lack of facilities for young people which could prevent them from getting involved in crime

and anti-social behavior.



Between 1996 and 2004, the state seized 6,919,780 Euro in criminal assets. The state should be made accountable as to why this desperately needed money is not channelled back into the working class communities to whom it should rightfully belong





Chicago Hunger Strike Commemorative Film



On 29 April, republicans and republican socialists of the Irish Freedom

Committee (IFC), Concerned Group for Republican Prisoners (CGRP) and Irish Republican Socialist Committees North America (IRSCNA) gathered as the Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee (CHSCC). The CHSCC hosted a film showing of the movie by ex-RS POW director Terry George.



The film is a harrowing depiction of the ordeal the Ten went through, as well as those who survived the strike. The film also depicts the suffering by the mothers, family and comrades on the outside in a convincing way.

Several people were moved to tears by the film.



Following the film a discussion was held by the committee. The audience

asked many questions and were given reports by the IFC, CGRP and IRSCNA spokespersons regarding their respective prisoner situations. The IFC and CGRP detailed the conditions in the prisons, and how a tragic repeat of the hunger strikes could be possible due to the de facto loss of political status. The IRSCNA representative was pleased to announce the recent release of Dessie O’Hare, and explained how the struggle today with the RSPOW's is not just in the prisons, but also with the ex-POW association Teach Na Fáilte who are targeted as ‘criminals’ by the British authorities despite lack of evidence.



There was talk of how the support networks in the USA can help lead the

way to more broad front work, and united action on such issues as the

prison struggle.



As well as educational and motivating, the film showing was a successful

Fund-raiser, and many copies of republican literature, including the Starry Plough were distributed.



The Chicago Hunger Strike Commemoration Committee’s next activity will be a punk rock show fundraiser in late July, before the actual commemoration of the ten in August.



Immigrant Detention Centres



Detention centres are essentially prisons where immigrants who don't have the correct documentation can be locked up indefinitely. In Dungavel in Scotland, children have been locked up in these centres for more than a year. The UK is the only place in Europe that imprisons immigrants. Apart from the obvious denial of civil liberties involved, detention centres have been criticised for promoting an idea that immigrants are criminals.



The role of the immigration squad will be to "act on information" where they believe that immigrants are here without papers or are involved in criminal activity. They will do this by carrying out raids on homes, workplaces and colleges.



One South Belfast family has recently experienced the appalling way in which these immigration teams work when their one year old child's birthday party was raided by a visiting team of immigration officers. The team consisted of several immigration officers and a number of PSNI from the vice squad. They broke down the door of their home and burst into a house full of children. They proceeded to interrogate and search the adults in the presence of the terrified children while other officers surrounded the house. The operation was conducted in the full view of the family's neighbours. Afterwards the papers reported the operation as a joint sting by immigration and the vice squad and named the address. What they failed to mention was that no criminal activity had been taking place there, quite clearly leaving the family open to attack.



From the South Belfast Anti Racism Network





Statement of the Israeli Communist Forum (19/5/2006)



New Government, Old Policy



The new government of Israel was created at the beginning of this month, headed by the successor/continuator of the previous PM, Ariel Sharon (still hospitalized in severe condition). Headed by Ehud Olmert, the “Kadima” Party continues the same basic policy lines which characterized the Government of Israel in recent years. The main principle is the refusal to conduct serious peace negotiations with the Palestinian side. Instead, the Olmert Government intends to take steps whose aim is the de-facto annexation to Israel of large parts of the Occupied Territories. For example, the Jordan Valley has recently become an area almost completely closed to Palestinians. Extension of the settlements goes on all over the West Bank. Construction of the “Separation Wall” goes on apace. Mistreatment of Palestinians at roadblocks and checkpoints continues, with various old and new limitations. And to top it all, there are increasing instances of the criminal “liquidations” of Palestinian leaders, in the course of which more and more civilians are hurt, including women and children.



In order to achieve international support for the intended annexation moves, Olmert speaks of certain Israeli unilateral steps, which would include the evacuation of certain settlements in the occupied West Bank (as a continuation of the previous “Disengagement Plan”, which included mainly the evacuation of settlements in the Gaza Strip). But with the creation of the government even this option – of some kind of partial withdrawal from some additional small parts of the Occupied Territories – seems more far away than ever. According to a recent Olmert statement, if it takes place at all it will only be two years from now... In any case, the way to promote a comprehensive and lasting agreement is not through any kind of unilateral act, but through talking to the legal elected leadership of the Arab Palestinian people, and

reaching an agreement with it on the basis of withdrawal from all the Occupied Territories, until the June ’67 borders. The Government of Israel must recognize the elected Palestinian government, headed by the Hamas. It is unacceptable to demand the holding of democratic elections and then not to recognize the results.



The Hamas victory in the Palestinian legislative elections is being used a pretext to repeat the old mantra about there being “no partner to talk to”. This, precisely when the Hamas leaders make many declarations indicating a tendency for moderation and willingness to reach a compromise on the basis of Israeli withdrawal to the June 1967 lines. Unfortunately, also the Labour Party leader made inflammatory statements following the Palestinian elections – as did even the Meretz leader Yossi Beilin.



It is highly worrying that Ehud Olmert made an effort to include in his cabinet also the

extreme-right party "Israel Our Home” – even though in the end this party remained outside the cabinet. Avigdor Lieberman, leader of this party, is one of the most extreme racists in Israel. In the Knesset debate on May 4, Lieberman effectively incited to murder the Arab Knesset Members, when he compared them to the Nazi war criminals executed following the Nuremberg Trials. Of course, in reality the arch-Fascist Lieberman is himself far closer to being defined as a Nazi, and it is very regrettable that his party increased its electoral strength in the recent elections.



Kadima’s main coalition partner is the Labour Party, which for its part did not completely rule out being in one cabinet with Lieberman. The new Labour Party leader conducted a campaign in which the social issues were emphasized and raised several conspicuous social demands (such as raising the minimum salary to the equivalent of 1000 dollars per month). In the end, however, he gave up nearly al of these demands, and surprisingly chose to take up the Ministry of Defence rather than any socio-economic portfolio. It is no surprise that in its very first days the government already announced its intention to considerably increase the prices of basic foodstuffs and of public transportation. This is a direct continuation of policies enacted by the previous government.



In the present political situation, we face a complete absence of a perspective for a political and diplomatic process and an increase in the power of racist nationalists who support ethnic cleansing. In face of this, unity in struggle should be increased between the political forces active among the Arab population in Israel, and especially together with consistent Jewish peace seekers. In our view, it would have been much better had such understanding been achieved already before the elections. But also now it is still highly important. It is of paramount importance to promote a unity in struggle of all political organizations which struggle for the dismantling of all settlements and for complete withdrawal from the Occupied Territories; who confront the threat of “transfer” and ethnic cleansing made against the Arab

Population in Israel and against its continued discrimination in all spheres of life; and who struggle for a fundamental change of the present socio-economic policy.

The Israeli Communist Forum

POB 4406

Tel-Aviv 61043

ISRAEL

Tel-Fax number: 972-3-5168032

E mail: info@icf.org.il

WEB-SITE: http://www.icf.org.il/indexen.htm



Massacres In Iraq





The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine Condemns the International Community's Silence Regarding the Massacres Being Committed Against Palestinian Refugees In Iraq



The Palestinian people, who for years have lived as refugees in Iraq, are the target of a chain of unprecedented, bloody, organized crimes.



The criminal actions, threats, expulsions from their homes and limitations of their movements carried out by death squads have intensified daily with the objective of forcing the Palestinian to leave Iraq.



The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) vigorously condemns the silence of the international community regarding the massacres committed against Palestinian residents in that country since 1948, the year of Al-Nakba, and rejects the racist ethnic cleansing that has become an inseparable part of the daily policies of the criminal bands.



The DFLP calls upon Iraqi institutions and national forces, the Arab League, international organizations and those committed to human rights to stop the massacres that are being carried out against our people.



Central Information Office of the FDLP

June 5, 2006



http://www.dflp-

palestine.org/english/statements/dflp_condemns_the_international_commu

nity-s_silence.htm







INTERNATIONAL JUSTICE DAY



Every June 15, cleaners, security officers and other property service

workers around the globe mark International Justice Day. The day was

first celebrated in 1990 in the U.S. as "Justice for Janitors Day" after

cleaners who cleaned office buildings in Los Angeles were beaten by

police during a peaceful demonstration against a multi-national cleaning

company, ISS. The incident provoked a public outcry in the U.S. and

abroad. Pressure from ISS cleaners who belonged to unions in other

countries led ISS to agree to recognize the cleaners' desire to form a

union in Los Angeles. In remembrance of that day, cleaners and security

workers take action every June 15 in cities around the world.



To mark International Justice Day 2006, LabourStart is working together

with Union Network International, a global union uniting more than 900

trade unions in 140 countries with a combined membership of over 15

million workers. We're launching an unprecedented triple campaign --

simultaneously targetting three different corporations in the property

service sector, worldwide.



We know it will take more than the usual few seconds for you to

participate in all three campaigns, but we know we can count on you to

take a couple of minutes to do this, and to spread the word. Please

click here now:



Power Security:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=109



ISS:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=108



German cleaning industry:

http://www.labourstart.org/cgi-bin/solidarityforever/show_campaign.cgi?c=110





Letters





A Chairde,



The CGRP in the Central, Eastern, and Western offices of the US send their solidarity to the Irish Republican Socialist Movement (IRSM), following the recent harassment their members have received from the PSNI/RUC in Derry.



The attempts to criminalize Republican should and will be challenged at every turn. We salute all Republicans who are constantly under attack because they continue to organize and resist the Normalization and Criminalisation policies of the British and Free State forces. We pledge our support to all our Republican Comrades in the forefront of this fight.



The forces of Occupation seem to have stepped up their efforts to criminalize Republicans. This is also true in the Free State, where recently members of the CGRP were arrested and their civil rights violated.



They will fail as they have failed in the past, We will not be silenced and

we will continue to grow.



We urge all Republicans to stand together and oppose these attempts to

criminalize us.



Beir Bua

Is Míse,



Colm Mistéil



CGRP Central Office Coordinator

www.cgrp.info



(Editor’s note.

Teach Na Failte have received many messages of support, like the one above, from a wide range of organisations including ex-political prisoner groups from both loyalist and republican backgrounds. The police actions were driven by the political desire to put our movement out of exixtence. Needless to say they found no evidence of money laundering and no evidence linking Teach na Failte to criminality.)




Subject: re: Bobby Sands


”The following letter was sent by our Canadian Comrade, Mike Quinn to a Canadian newspaper in response to an article by one of its reporters commenting on a successful celebration of the 1916 Uprising and the 25th anniversary of the Hunger strike.”
Dear Editor/Ms Kennedy

Had Bobby Sands grown up in a society where multicultural mutual respect is cherished and fostered there would have been no Icon, no hunger-strike, no incarceration, Civil Rights Campaign, no Diplock courts, no Special Powers Act, no Emergency Provisions Act, no Flags and Emblems Act, no Internment, no H-Blocks, no Castlereagh Interrogation/Torture Centre, no Bloody Sunday…. the list is endless. THIS…. is the society which Bobby Sands found himself a ‘prisoner’ long before he ever entered the conveyor belt to the Maze Prison (Long Kesh)
He grew up like me, in Rathcoole housing Estate, North Belfast. His family evicted by thugs from our community, bad as that may be, some were killed not because they were Republicans simply because they were catholic. By 1972, ethnic cleansing was well under way. The Sands family through intimidation and threat moved to Twinbrook, West Belfast, there at least there would be less threat from loyalist thugs, but regardless, the politicization of Bobby Sands had begun.

Regardless of how or why Sands became an icon is not for me to explain. Many historians and journalists have undertaken this task to great length. More recently, a biography written by Denis O’Hearn “Nothing but an Unfinished Son” The author a professor of social and economic change at Queens University, Belfast and in the sociology department at Binghampton University in New York. Sands himself recorded much of prison life including the early days of his hunger-strike this point almost mocked by columnist Kennedy.

Successive attempts to reform the northern state (6 counties) were met with the same legal apparatus of paramilitary institutions from Internment to Special Powers to imprisonment. The central issue in all of these ‘campaigns’ was the classification of status of those who were imprisoned or interned. In the recent ‘campaign’ 69/98 the hunger-strike/s in 1972 by Belfast republican Billy McKee insured that the policy of criminalization would yet again have to be confronted by the only means available to Republicans in Belfast Prison, Crumlin Road….Hunger-strike. McKee’s actions and victory over the policy meant that those republican and republican socialist POWs entering the legal/prison system, entered as “Special Category Prisoners”
In March 1976 this ‘status’ was once again arbitrarily withdrawn and again the age–old struggle had to be confronted again. Britain’s rational, if they could criminalize the prisoners then the logical conclusion is that the 800 year struggle against colonialism and domination must also be criminal. In short, Sands led this first hunger-strike as negotiator in 1980 as O/C of republican prisoners followed by another hunger-strike in March, 1981 when Britain withdrew the original settlement. Sands himself going on hunger-strike as the first republican prisoner and followed by six other republicans representing the Irish Republican Army and a further three representing the Irish National Liberation Army starting with Patsy O’Hara from Derry City. A point not acknowledged by Ms Kennedy.

On April 8, 2006 we celebrated the 90th anniversary of the Easter Rising and the 25th anniversary of the 1981 Hunger-strike here in Regina, Saskatchewan. We are proud to have undertaken this task. It was never our intention to embarrass any part of our community, nor to ‘open old wounds’ and whip up the type of rhetoric I read in the columns of the Ottawa Citizen as presented by Janice Kennedy. Our audience was Canadian, Irish, English, Scottish, Chilean and from the Kashmir community. And a whole host of people who just wanted to be with us in solidarity as we remembered two dates in Irish history with the dignity and respect they deserved.

Michael Quinn
Regina,



Comrades,



New from Socialist Productions for May 2006 www.socialistproductions.org



* In celebration of the 70th anniversary inspiring fight against

fascism by the Spanish people and the international volunteers we

have reproduced a International Brigades enamel badge and t-shirt

visit the website to check both items out!

*



* We have a number of DVDs in stock including 'Paradise now' -

about two young Palestinian suicide bombers, H3 fictional account

of the 1981 hunger strike up to the death of Bobby Sands MP

written by a former hunger striker, Laurence McKeown and POW Brian

Campbell, Chomsky - 'Rebel without a pause', Howard Zinn - 'You

cant be neutral on a moving train', Malcolm X documentary based on

his autobiography.



Just some of the new items on the new look website, not all pages are

currently available, but we are working on it!



in comradeship

Robert






From the newspapers.



WHAT’S ON




Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse! E-news service of the Catalan Solidarity: Ireland Committee
To obtain this regular eservice Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse!, forward „SUBSCRIBE‰ to the following e-mail: catalansolidarity@hotmail.com





InterNATIONAL BRIGADE COMMEMORATION COMMITTEE

Spanish Anti-Fascist War 1936-39

(Symbol of the International Brigade)

c/o 45-47 Donegall Street, Belfast, BT1 2FG

ibcc@hotmail.co.uk







First of three

Public Seminars on





The Island of Ireland and the Spanish Civil War 1936-39:



The People Unite Against Fascism



A Common History Seminar



Speakers:

Ciaran Crossey

Harry Donaghy

John Grey





Saturday 17th June at 11.00am

In the Belfast Unemployed Resource Centre

45/47 Donegall Street

Belfast

BT1 2FG





Organised by: The Belfast & District Trades Union Council,

The Fellowship of Messines Association,

The International Brigades Commemoration Committee.



Supported by Community Relations Council.





The next meeting of the James Connolly Debating Society will take place on Thursday 29th June at 7.00pm in An Chultúrlann on the Falls Road.



The topic of this discussion will be the question of engaging with unionism, and the Reverend Bill Boyd, a Gaeilgeoir and the last Presbyterian minister to serve in the church that is now An Chultúrlann, has agreed to come along and take part in the debate. This will also be the final meeting before the summer, and considering the importance of the issue, we hope as many people as possible are able to attend.

I hope to see you here.

Ádh mór, Ciarán











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