The Plough
Volume 3, Number 26
27 June 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) INLA Offers Any Informers One-Week Amnesty
8) 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 and 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 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
McGuinness 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
Fein 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 Fein'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 McGuinness 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
Fein leadership imposed Gerry Adams. We are not having the entire
commemoration turned into another Sinn Fein 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
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 the 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 O
Conchuir 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 childrens' 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 IRSCNA 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 cover names 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 heighten 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.
*******
INLA OFFERS ANY INFORMERS ONE-WEEK AMNESTY
[Without comment.]
Daily Ireland
21 June 2006
INLA Offers Any Informers One-Week Amnesty
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 a
51-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
Fein official admitted to working as an informer for Special Branch
and British intelligence for two decades.
*******
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! & Saoirse!
At present our website is under construction however, we hope that our
work will inspire you to find out more!
http://www.catalansolidarity.org/
SUBSCRIPTION DETAILS
Llibertat! & Saoirse!: E-News Service of the Catalan Solidarity:
Ireland Committee
Send SUBSCRIBE to the following e-mail: catalansolidarity@hotmail.com
*******
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