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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 <http://www.catalansolidarity.org/>
SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse!
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To obtain this regular eservice Llibertat! ˆ Saoirse!, forward
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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
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