Sunday 3rd: POW leafleting

by Ailín Thu Jul 31, 2003 11:44

Na Fianna Éireann have set up a petition in support of Political Status for republican prisoners. If you agree with its aims please sign it and pass the link on to your friends.
To: The British Prime Minister
Irish Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry Gaol, Co Antrim, have commenced a dirty protest at the continued denial of political status by the British government. Conditions in the prison have steadily deteriorated over the past couple of years with death threats and attacks on republican prisoners by loyalists becoming commonplace. The British policy of forced segregation means that no more than two republican prisoners are kept on one landing where they are surrounded by loyalists, common criminals and drug abusers and in some cases are outnumbered 20 to one. Cells in the prison have been destroyed, fires have been lit and a rooftop protest has taken place to highlight their plight.

The issues at stake are not new. It is a continuation of the 'normalisation' (ie criminalisation) process begun by the British in the Six Occupied Counties in the mid 1970s -- To treat the political conflict caused by the British occupation as a series of criminal incidents to be dealt with by the police and the normal justice system. The fact that these prisoners were sentenced in a politically directed non-jury Diplock court gives the lie to Britain's criminalisation process. Under the hidden agenda of the Stormont Agreement, the political status gained by Billy McKee and his comrades on hunger strike in Belfast Jail in 1972, and won back once more after it had been removed by the British government in 1976, was withdrawn again for new prisoners. It was, of course, the blanket protest followed by the no-wash protest and the prolonged hunger strike in 1981, resulting in the supreme sacrifice by Bobby Sands and his nine comrades, which recovered political status on the second occasion - that time at enormous price.

The prisoners actions are politically motivated, they are charged under political acts and tried in political non jury courts. They are political prisoners. We appeal to all concerned individuals and groups to support the four basic demands before we are faced with the daunting prospect of another hunger strike. We are not calling on you to back their political opinions, but we do ask that you back their basic rights as political prisoners. We will not allow England to criminalise our prisoners or our struggle for freedom and we intend on making this issue a live one over the coming weeks and months.

Victory to the POWS

Please sign the Petition

We the undersigned call for the return of political status to Irish Republican prisoners held in British gaols by the granting of these four demands: (1) The separation of Republicans from ordinary prisoners and loyalists; (2) recognition as a group; (3) The right to their own spokesperson and (4) a prison wing or space of their own.

by Jimmy Sands Thu Jul 31, 2003 12:41 letthemstarve2003 at yahoo dot com

In the Name of the Irish People,

Having Endured Murder, Terror, Heartbreak and Destruction in the name of the Irish Republic and wishing that Murder, Terror, Heartbreak and Destruction be banished from this country forever we the undersigned DEMAND that those prisoners calling themselves 'dissident Republicans' be subjected to the harshest legal discipline and that they receive no special treatment which by its intention or by chance ameliorates their conditions.

Let Them Starve

by MG Thu Jul 31, 2003 13:23

...could someone with access to the IMC system delete this shite or post it as a comment on the earlier piece.

Is anybody else sick of these fuckers and others abusing the open publishing ideal?

by Penny Thu Jul 31, 2003 13:42

"sick of these fuckers", but I am sick of arseholes like you posting bitter anonymous shite. If anyone is abusing anything it is fuckwits like you.

by Mags - WCA Thu Jul 31, 2003 14:12

The purpose of Indymedia is not to post only stuff that YOU agree with. This is merely an announcement of an event on a serious political issue which is ongoing, so of course there will be notices of events on a regular basis. The leafletting is posted here both to publicise it and to encourage any supporters to come along and take part. Loads of such posts are put up each week. Your incisive and erudite political refutation of it is most impressive, I must say.

Editors - perhaps it might be possible to add the petition post on as a comment to this one, as it is an action people can do if they cannot make the leafletting.

by Pat C Thu Jul 31, 2003 14:23

Now you think you speak for the Irish People. You are a sad, sick twisted creature who gets his rocks off at the idea of prisoners being ill-treated. Go back to autoeroticism over your porn sites.

These POWs were arrested by Special police under Special laws, tried in Special courts and given Special sentences. They are entitled to Special Status.

by Anonymous Thu Jul 31, 2003 15:21

Look its a petition, its gonna get nowhere - why has this not been deleted!!??

by Mags - WCA Thu Jul 31, 2003 19:10

There was one a while back protesting at outrageous statement made on the Fox News site in relation to Bobby Sands. There was a huge petition campaign on-line and within days Fox had issued an abject apology.

Often it is not the actual petition itself so much as the publicity about it existing that causes corporations and governments realise the bad publicity they are getting.

People also mocked when we pissed off the BBC by voting 'A Nation Once Again' the top song of all time ever in the whole world. Of course it isn't, but it was a bit of craic annoying the BBC. I see the Wolfe Tones have released it as a single, bit cheeky that and I won't be buying it.

by Seáinín Fri Aug 01, 2003 02:37

give a fuck about those murdering scumbags. Nobody down South does anyway, apart from a few alcoholic pub bores.

Enniskillen was done in my name and I am forever the enemy of you creatures.

by MG Fri Aug 01, 2003 10:56

Penny and Mags: posting two artilces about the exact same issue is an abuse of the open publishing ideal. The IMC editors/moderators obviously agree with me, because they deleted one of the stories and added it on as a comment to this one.

I never asked for opinons/viewpoints I disagree with to be censored. But I am abolsutely sick of seeing this site being bombarded with rubbish from dissident republican groups and knocking news that I am interested in off the newswire.

I totally disagree with Litte Sean and Jimmy Sands and other trolls who have nothing constructive to add to the debate about political prisoners. I was merely pointing out that Ailin and others are abusing this newswire by posting a disproportionate number of stories about one issue.

by Ailín Fri Aug 01, 2003 11:16

"I was merely pointing out that Ailin and others are abusing this newswire by posting a disproportionate number of stories about one issue."

Ive posted a whole five times on this topic. There is a campaign underway at the moment so obviously there is going to be more news about the situation. Ive seen other topics receive far more posts than this. How many similar posts was there on Disco Disco for example? Or reports from critical mass everytime they go on a cycle with the exact same pictures posted as the last one. Im not interested in that either but I dont complain about it. The post added after mine had nothing to do with me.

by Jimmy Sands Fri Aug 01, 2003 11:17

Come on MG so 2 people post on similar topics one after the other so what.

An abuse of the open publishing system, cop on for fucks sake what about isisphi.

And as for me being an an (alleged) troll, no way I died for this country and I'll post what I want.

Anyway it was Mags who suggested moving the petition so if it is then moved how is the censure of her?

Jimmy