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| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: Forensic evidence routinely tampered with in Occupied Six Counties Date: Friday, April 30, 2004 Forensics tampering has reached epidemic proportions in the Occupied Six Counties with RUC/PSNI colonial police actively fabricating evidence at "crime scenes" to jail Republicans on flimsy, if any, evidence. Prisoners’ rights and welfare spokesperson Martin Mulholland has called this trend “a systemic, institutionalised conspiracy on behalf of the state to put innocent people behind bars”. More follows below, in a statement released today by prisoners’ rights and welfare spokespersons in Belfast: ------------- Belfast Prisoners’ Rights representatives: “Forensic Evidence ‘Interfered with’ in Case of Tyrone Men” April 29, 2004 “Ahead of the trial due in Belfast on Thursday 6th May, the defence team for a Tyrone man arrested along with 3 others at the scene of an alleged RPG22 rocket launcher find near Coalisland in February 2002 are convinced that forensic evidence has been interfered with. “There are apparently two instances which are of cause for concern; firstly photographs of the scene are purporting to show that strict forensic guidelines were ignored. Rather than showing the scene of the event along with items in situ, they clearly prove that the items have been removed from the scene, bagged and only later photographed. Secondly the defence counsel are alleging that officers in the case are attempting to remove all links between the accused Kevin Murphy and missing Armagh man Gareth O’Connor. Murphy along with others are asking for a thorough independent investigation into the possibility that O’Connor was acting as a state agent and led them to their arrest in dubious circumstances. “The allegation of tampered evidence is a mirror image of the Martin Brogan and Mark Carroll incident, 2 County Down men who were released this year after it was proved in court that not only were forensic procedures ignored but British Army personnel had intentionally planted evidence in order to secure convictions and cover up the role of an informer who was later spirited out of the country. Another man, Seamus Doherty from Derry was also implicated in the same operation and is likewise protesting his innocence. “(Prisoners’ welfare) spokesperson Martin Mulholland stated that “what we are seeing here is quite obviously a trend” he went on that “the comparison between the Brogan and Carroll case, and that of the Tyrone four is startling and can only lead us to the conclusion that this is a systemic, institutionalised conspiracy on behalf of the state to put innocent people behind bars”. He finished by saying that it was with some irony that “Sinn Fein have for some reason remained tight lipped in all of these affairs even though they are happening on their own doorstep – yet they feel it necessary for Catriona Ruane to travel half way round the globe to prove the innocence of the Columbia 3”. MESSAGE ENDS ************************************************ MORE INFORMATION Seamus Doherty: Appeal from his family IFC NewsList March 5, 2004 ************************************************ © The Irish Freedom Committee® NewsList - IFC Updates |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: US/UK Extradition Treaty IN SENATE Date: Friday, April 23, 2004 ****please forward this emergency message widely**** We have an emergency update and Action Request on the US/UK Extradition Treaty. As of yesterday April 22nd it is confirmed that President George Bush Jr. has TRANSMITTED THE US/UK EXTRADITION TREATY TO THE SENATE. This development follows a visit by British Prime Minister Tony Blair to the White House on April 19th. We have obtained copies of the Transmittal Documents dated this week that include a memo from Colin Powell, dated last fall and presumably held until an opportune visit from the British Prime Minister. These documents confirm that the President has approved the transfer of the US/UK Extradition Treaty and it is now in the hands of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. ACTION Please DO NOT DELAY – CALL YOUR SENATOR TODAY and ask that they NOT SIGN this draconian and wholly un-American document. Click HERE to find YOUR US SENATOR: http://www.senate.gov/index.htm If you are a resident of INDIANA, NEBRASKA, RHODE ISLAND, VIRGINIA, KANSAS, WYOMING, OHIO, TENNESSEE, MINNESOTA, NEW HAMPSHIRE, DELAWARE, MARYLAND, CONNECTICUT, MASSACHUSETTS, WISCONSIN, CALIFORNIA, FLORIDA, WEST VIRGINIA, or NEW JERSEY -- the states whose Senators make up the Senate Foreign Relations Committee-- your help is especially needed. Click to find the Senate Foreign Relations Committee members. JOHN KERRY We are in the heat of the Presidential Campaigns, and candidate JOHN JERRY is also a member of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee. All American voters regardless of Senate district CAN AND SHOULD CONTACT PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL JOHN KERRY. Ask his staffers HOW HE PLANS TO VOTE ON THIS EXTRADITION TREATY. Then CALL BACK TOMORROW, and the next day, and once a week every week. Let his offices know that YOUR VOTE DEPENDS ON IT!! U.S. SENATOR JOHN F. KERRY (D –MA) Senator John F. Kerry 304 Russell Bldg.Third Floor Washington D.C. 20510 Ph: (202) 224-2742 Fax: (202) 224-8525 (Boston MA Offices of Senator John F. Kerry) One Bowdoin Square Tenth Floor Boston, MA 02114 Ph: (617) 565-8519 Fax:(617) 248-3870 (Fall River MA Offices of Senator John F. Kerry) 222 Milliken Place Suite 311 Fall River, Ma 02722 Ph:(508) 677-0522 Fax:(508) 677-0275 (Springfield MA Offices of Senator John F. Kerry) One Financial Plaza Springfield, MA 01103 Ph:(413) 785-4610 Fax:(413) 736-1049 (Worcester MA Offices of Senator John F. Kerry) 90 Madison Place, Suite 205 Worcester, MA 01608 Ph:(508) 831-7380 Please DON’T DELAY – CALL YOUR US SENATOR – For TALKING POINTS and a suggested letter to Senators please see the links HERE: MORE INFORMATION on the US/UK Extradition Treaty here
SAMPLE LETTER to US SENATORS
Reference the letter “A THREAT to IRISH AMERICANS” by Jerry Boyle as well for Talking Points. Please MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD!! Let JOHN KERRY and your Us Senators know that YOUR VOTE DEPENDS ON A CONFIRMATION OF THEIR NOT SIGNING THIS TREATY. BLOCK THE RETURN OF BRITISH RULE TO UNITED STATES SOIL!!! |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: CHICAGO COMMEMORATES THE EASTER UPRISING OF 1916 Date: Monday, April 19, 2004 CHICAGO COMMEMORATES THE EASTER UPRISING OF 1916 By Richard Wallace On Sunday April 18th, the Charlie Kerins Unit of the Irish Freedom Committee held a very successful Easter Commemoration and Brunch at the Abbey Pub in Chicago. The Abbey Dining Room was filled with every available seat and table taken by supporters from across the city of Chicago who came out on a beautiful, summer-like day to enjoy a traditional Irish breakfast, and to commemorate those who gave their lives in 1916 at the Easter Uprising in Dublin. There were old friends and new ones who came out to hear veteran Republican Frank O’Neill give a history lesson, but the highlight had to be when Frank belted out a song in memory of his fallen comrades. Frank has been a staunch supporter of the Irish Cause since a child growing up in Antrim, Occupied Ireland. Frank is a legend in Ireland and among Chicagoans, having run a pub here for nearly 40 years, entertaining and educating the youth who would go on to become Chicago's doctors, lawyers, judges, and politicians. It was enjoyable to see some of our old friends and we welcomed many newcomers as well. All were delighted to listen to a female piper play the bagpipe in honor of the heroes of 1916 and all those killed or imprisoned since. Following a bagpipe introduction, Sean J. proudly read the 1916 Proclamation. Frank O’Neill then rose to deliver a speech on the role James Connolly played in uniting Republican forces to take on the British on April 24, 1916. Frank pointed out that less than 1,000 Irish Volunteers held off the might of the British Army, 22,00 strong, for over a week, and these were untrained teachers and working men and women. He emphasized the need for unity then and now. He reminded the audience that we have heard of “stepping stones” but we must beware of where they lead, if they are to lead to a furthering of British rule in Ireland. A stirring and unrepentant statement from the Republican prisoners at Maghaberry Gaol was then delivered to the assembled, thanking the Irish Freedom Committee Members and supporters across the U.S. for their support and assistance over the years. The statement drew great applause and ended on the tone “Victory to the All Ireland Republic!” All present took time to sign Easter Greetings cards to many dozens of
Irish Republican political prisoners in British and Irish jails, reminding these brave men and women that they, and their sacrifice, are
not forgotten in America. MORE: EVENT
FLIER |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: PRISONERS’ ILL MOTHER REFUSED VISIT Date: Monday, April 19, 2004 The Irish Freedom Committee has learned that yesterday Sunday April 18th the mother of republican prisoner JOHN JAMES CONNOLLY was refused a visit to see her son, when the sniffer dog in the visitors’ holding center sat down at Mrs. Connolly’s feet. Mrs. Connolly is in ill health and must travel over 200 miles to have a visit with her son. Quite understandably this ordeal has severely upset her son John Connolly who witnessed his ill mother being manhandled by guards and physically removed from the visiting area and told to leave without a visit despite her pleas to “please just let me see my son”. The three other women Mrs. Connolly had traveled with, who were to have a visit with their brother CONOR CASEY, were also refused their visit when they protested the treatment being given to Mrs. Connolly. This mass refusal of groups of particular visitors has been used by Maghaberry prison before, and indicates an unwritten prison policy in the use of sniffer dogs of “guilt by association” – all of a group of visitors traveling together in an instance where a dog sits down have been considered “guilty” as well and have been refused their visits en mass. Sniffer dogs are ostensibly used by their prison handlers to sniff out drugs on the person of a visitor—although it is well known that no Republican prisoner, nor anyone visiting them, has ever been found with drugs in their possession. In reality sniffer dogs are often used as a form of psychological intimidation of Republican family members, including small children. In many instances the same visitors to particular Republican prisoners have been repeatedly refused a visit when the dog handler openly yanked on the dog’s lead, forcing it to sit down, canceling the visit for all members of the family group. We ask our supporters and Members to please stay vigilant as the weekend incident may indicate an escalation in harassment to family visitors of Republican prisoners at Maghaberry, in the weeks to come. This incident follows a steady increase of harassment of Republican prisoners by Maghaberry prison guards in recent weeks, and it is seen as no accident that the mother of John James Connolly, the Republican prisoners’ spokesman at Maghaberry, was singled out for this abusive and degrading treatment. The last incident of a group of family members being refused a visit was over a year ago, the interim respite due in no small part to firm and outspoken protest by prisoners’ welfare representatives on the outside. For more on the use of sniffer dogs at Maghaberry please see the link below: IFC NewsList February 2003 – IFC REPORT FROM MAGHABERRY here The Irish Freedom Committee® ************************************************ Excerpt from: IFC NewsList February 2003 – IFC REPORT FROM MAGHABERRY http://members.freespeech.org/irishpows/NEWS/february_2003.htm#REPORT_FROM_MAGHABERRY SNIFFER DOGS – PSYCHOLOGICAL INTIMIDATION OF FAMILIES After passing through a search visitors are brought into a waiting room and then stood in a long tunnel to be inspected by a sniffer dog. The dog is lead across visitors by a guard controlling the leash. If the dog is made to sit down, or sits down on a cue, the visit is cancelled and all persons traveling with the “marked” individual also lose their visit. The dog is quite large and this would be a terrifying experience for anyone who is afraid of dogs, or small children. Guards have been seen more than once visibly yanking at the leash to make to dog sit down and thus deny the entire group their visit. Republican prisoners do not use drugs and are utterly opposed to them, and prison guards would be aware that the use of the sniffer dogs is an unnecessary scare tactic simply designed to frighten and intimidate family members. (more) ************************************************ SUPPORT IRISH REPUBLICAN POLITICAL PRISONERS www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ************************************************ © The Irish Freedom Committee® NewsList - IFC Updates |
| IRISH
FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: Easter Commemoration, Chicago - THIS WEEKEND Date: Monday, April 12, 2004 If you are in the Chicago area this coming weekend, please join the Charlie Kerins Cumann of the Irish Freedom Committee for a Commemoration of the 1916 Easter Rising. The Charlie Kerins Unit will also read a special Easter Statement sent to the IFC by Republican Prisoners at Maghaberry Gaol, Antrim. $15 Donation covers a Brunch of full Irish Breakfast with coffee and tea. Cash bar available. The event is at the popular Abbey Pub from 1PM to 4PM. Please RSVP at the telephone number below or through the IFC website at www.irishfreedomcommittee.net. Easter blessings and thanks to our Supporters and Members everywhere. The Irish Freedom Committee® ************************************************ EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: here ------------------ The Irish Freedom Committee Easter Commemoration And Brunch =========== Commemorating the 88th Anniversary of the Easter Rising April 24, 1916 =========== Sunday April 18, 2004 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM The Abbey Pub 3420 W. Grace, Chicago IL - $15.00 Donation - + Traditional Irish Republican Easter Commemoration And Full Irish Breakfast + + Reading of the 1916 Proclamation + + Irish Republican Merchandise and Memorabilia + + Please RSVP by Friday April 16th + Hosted by Charlie Kerins Unit, Irish Freedom Committee Frank O Neill - Chairman The Irish Freedom Committee P.O. Box 1147, Chicago IL 60611 Ph. 312-560-9311 ************************************************ © The Irish Freedom Committee® NewsList - IFC Updates |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: Easter Commemoration Derry - 2004 Date: Monday, April 12, 2004 Easter Commemoration Derry – Easter Monday 2004. Oration Delivered by Marian Price printed in full below. The Irish Freedom Committee® ************************************************ Easter 2004. A Chairde, Fáilte romhaibh agus Beannachtaí na Cásca daoibh go léir. Fellow republicans and friends, we are gathered here today on this proud, historic and symbolically potent date in the calendar of the Irish Republican struggle to pay homage to, and salute, the heroism, suffering and sacrifices endured by generations of Irish men and women in pursuit of Liberation and the establishment of a Sovereign, Independent Irish Republic. It is at Easter time that Irish Republicans take the opportunity to reflect with pride upon those momentous events which occurred in our country in that famous week in 1916. The political fallout from the sacrifice made by our patriot dead of that generation had a shattering impact, not just in Ireland, but on a global scale. The British Empire at that time was one of the most powerful and ruthless political and military systems the world had ever seen and a blow struck here was an inspiration to so many other small nations to throw off the yoke of tyranny. As Republicans we gather, not merely to foster and cherish the memory of our fallen predecessors and comrades (important and necessary though that function must always be) but also to draw strength and inspiration from their lives and deaths and once again to swear allegiance to the legacy which they bequeathed to us. From their sacrifice we receive lessons of history to learn, ideals to espouse and principles of patriotism to uphold. To be a revolutionary one must first accept that “to gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything” (Bernadette McAliskey) and certainly the men and women who lie beneath us in the earth’s cold embrace were all too familiar with the hardship and risk of building a resistance movement in the face of what sometimes appears to be insurmountable odds. I say this because, as with all true republicans, we have similarly faced our difficulties. In the past year once again we have been forced to face the open aggression of the British and Free State Governments in their attempts to crush any opposition to their policies by every means at their disposal. This has included a campaign of harassment against our members, led by the RUC/PSNI and Special Branch, as well as the use of the media in order to vilify our cause through a process of black propaganda and misinformation. These attempts took a particularly sinister twist when it was discovered earlier this year that attempts were made by the RUC and the DPP to influence the Forensic Science Laboratory in the cases of men falsely accused and remanded in custody on the basis of manufactured forensic evidence. Scientists were asked to “modify” and “omit” aspects of their reports and to overlook acts of contamination and blatant malpractice in order to ensure convictions. This is nothing but flagrant corruption, an act carried out by corrupt police officers on behalf of a despotic and corrupt state which, when faced with opposition, is willing to bend, break and abuse its own laws in order to achieve convictions. Nevertheless we are told to believe that in the realms of what is ironically termed the justice system here in the north there is a ‘New Beginning to Policing’. In the daily news-sheets the Nationalist people have been advised by self-appointed and altogether rather dubious community figures to become part of the much heralded ‘Policing Partnership’. We state this clearly and without ambiguity or diplomatic double-meaning; there will never be an acceptance by true Republicans of ANY British backed police force anywhere in Ireland and our sole relationship to any such force will be strictly in terms of absolute, unremitting and ceaseless resistance. The so-called new age or “new dawn” that is said to exist ever since the signing of the Stormont agreement has nothing to do with the kind of revolutionary Republic that we, or the men and women of 1916 envisaged.: “We see the Six County State as irreformable and believe that full civil rights, an end to discrimination, unemployment, social deprivation and sectarianism can only be achieved when we achieve our national rights – i.e. independence and unity. We are opposed to the Assembly, and believe it has dangerous potential as a vehicle for a return to Stormont rule”. Not my words, but those of a 1982 Sinn Fein election manifesto. Contrast this with the situation that the Provisional Movement now finds itself in, hypnotised by the pomp and ceremony of ministerial finery – deluding themselves that a Westminster paycheque and ‘cross-border bodies for arts and culture’ will someday deliver the Workers’ Republic that men and women gave their blood for. They should remember the prophetic words of Pearse, “I make the contention that the national demand of Ireland is fixed and
determined; that that demand has been made by every generation; that we of this generation receive it as a trust from our fathers; that we are
bound by it; that we have not the right to alter it or to abate it by one jot; and that any undertaking made in the name of Ireland to accept
in full satisfaction of Ireland’s claim anything less than the generations of Ireland have stood for is null and void, binding on
Ireland neither by the law of God nor the law of Nations. Ireland’s historic claim is for separation. Ireland has authorised no man to abate
that claim. The man who accepts as a final settlement anything less by one fraction of an iota than separation from England will be repudiated The martyrs of 1916 “followed the call of freedom through fire and
blood, through poverty, strife and slander; followed it through the gates of death, gladly proudly, uncomplainingly. Their call to us is a
call of hope and courage. They bid us remember that so long as there are even a few, be they weak or strong, who will not yield in their
hearts to the English enemy, who will have no traffic with English trickery, who will keep the light of
faith and love and service on the straight road they walked, so that others may see it and follow where
they led, there is hope for Ireland still, and all the force and “The Republic stands for truth and honour, for all that is best and
noblest in our race. By truth and honour, by principle and sacrifice will Ireland be free….She may shrink but her faltering feet will find
the road again. For that road is plain and broad and straight; its signposts are
unmistakable”. - Marian Price, Easter 2004 |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: TRANSFER REQUEST for IRISH POW Date: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 IFC POW DEPT. – ACTION REQUEST +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Please take a moment to COPY and PASTE the suggested text below into an email to the Home Office in London. Irish POW JP Hannan, currently serving a 16-Year sentence at Whitemoor Prison in England, has requested to be transferred to Maghaberry Prison in Ireland, where he will be closer to his family and loved ones. Normal procedure has been followed in his transfer request, with papers being sent from the Home Office to Maghaberry; and the acceptance papers from Maghaberry being sent back to the Home Office. However a long delay has ensued with the Home Office in London still not acting upon the transfer. It is JP Hannan's LEGAL RIGHT to be transferred to a prison in Ireland, and there can be no good reason for delaying in this transfer considering that all requirements have been met by all parties concerned. For EASY “INSTANT E-MAIL” to Home Office go here OR: |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: RHODE ISLAND HISTORY EVENT – JAMES McNALLY WILSON and the “CATALPA” Date: Tuesday April 6, 2004 A history event in Rhode Island this weekend commemorated the life of Fenian James McNally Wilson, who escaped a British penal colony in Australia with five other Fenian prisoners aboard the whaler “Catalpa” in 1876. James Wilson settled in Central Falls Rhode Island, where he is buried. The all-day history event, sponsored by the Rhode Island Labor History Society, was very well attended with the crowd estimated at 150 people. The “Search for James Wilson Roundtable” Chairman George McLaughlin began the proceedings in Irish, welcoming attendees from several states, and acknowledging the role that Irish American support groups have long played in the fight for Freedom and Sovereignty in Ireland. Following is a short report of the day’s proceedings by Richard Wallace. Photos from the event will be available shortly on the Irish Freedom Committee website at www.irishfreedomcommittee.net For more information on the event go to: http://members.freespeech.org/irishpows/NEWS/march_2004.htm#james_wilson_ifcri The Irish Freedom Committee® ************************************************ THE SEARCH for JAMES WILSON – FROM THE “CATALPA” TO CENTRAL FALLS R.I. “There was a great turnout this weekend in Providence RI, over 150 people showed up on a rainy Saturday morning and stayed all day; a feat in itself.. They had four speakers in the morning, with the James Wilson presentation in the afternoon. The exhibit of the Catalpa and the rescue of the 6 Fenians will be permanently displayed in the Central Falls, Rhode Island museum. After the presentation, there was a commemoration at the grave of James Wilson, at St. Mary’s Cemetery, where a bronze plaque was displayed, to be affixed to the marker. The local press and two dozen people attended this service. “This event was a celebration of the life of James Wilson, who was actually named McNally, changed as many Irish did to conceal from the British their real identity. Ironically, until now, he was buried under an assumed name. His new plaque has his full name, James McNally Wilson. The venue was hosted by the Rhode Island Labor History Society and sponsored by the Central Falls Library and Museum. They were led by high school teacher George McLaughlin, a member of the Irish Freedom Committee, and assisted by Niall Fennessy, another member of the Irish Freedom Committee. An outstanding group of five (5) high school students, none of them American; none of them Irish, spent their weekends and free time working on this project for over two years. “We were fortunate to have a special guest, Jim Ryan, the great grandson of Captain George Anthony of the Catalpa, who brought and displayed many artifacts from the New Bedford Whaler, the Catalpa, such as its Flag and Captain's trunk, which remains with the family. We were very fortunate to have been able to spread this flag out and view its awesome grandeur; a full 6 feet by 12 feet in size; the actual flag that was fired upon by the British in this most extraordinary escape from the British prison in Australia. “I strongly recommend the book “The Voyage of the Catalpa”, by Author, Peter Stevens; a great read. There was a video presentation, “The Search for James Wilson”, by George McLaughlin and Dick Tierney. This video will soon be available.” (By Richard Wallace) ************************************************ For more information on the James Wilson event go here ************************************************ © The Irish Freedom Committee® NewsList - IFC Updates |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: Easter Commemoration, Chicago Date: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 ------------------ The Irish Freedom Committee Easter Commemoration And Brunch =========== Commemorating the 88th Anniversary of the Easter Rising April 24, 1916 =========== Sunday April 18, 2004 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM The Abbey Pub 3420 W. Grace, Chicago IL - $15.00 Donation - + Traditional Irish Republican Easter Commemoration And Full Irish Breakfast + + Reading of the 1916 Proclamation + + Irish Republican Merchandise and Memorabilia + + Please RSVP by Friday April 16th + Hosted by Charlie Kerins Unit, Irish Freedom Committee Frank O Neill - Chairman The Irish Freedom Committee P.O. Box 1147, Chicago IL 60611 Ph. 312-560-9311 The Irish Freedom Committee® |
| IRISH FREEDOM COMMITTEE® NEWSLIST www.irishfreedomcommittee.net ----------------------------- Subject: POW EASTER MESSAGE 2004 – MAGHABERRY GAOL Date: Tuesday, April 06, 2004 Easter message from the Irish Republican political prisoners at Maghaberry Gaol, Co. Antrim. ---------------------------------------- POW EASTER MESSAGE 2004 “This Easter we take the opportunity to send greetings to all our supporters, comrades and friends on the outside. Especially to (*prisoners’ welfare and political pressure groups in Ireland and England) for the tireless work and steadfast commitment you have shown in support of the Republican prisoners in Maghaberry, Portlaoise and English Gaols. “We likewise commend our supporters both in America and across Europe for their selfless activity in the face of continued restrictions imposed upon their freedom of speech and expression. “We also send our best wishes and fraternal greetings to all our imprisoned comrades and their loved ones. “As Easter is a day set aside by Republicans to honour our Patriot dead, we would also like to remember our fallen comrades who gave their lives in the cause of Irish Freedom. We extend our solidarity to their families and pay tribute to the dignified manner in which they carry their loss. “Republican prisoners here in Maghaberry Gaol reaffirm our steadfast commitment to our Republican objectives. We seek the establishment of an Irish Republic as outlined in the Proclamation of 1916. “More and more people understand and embrace the Republican analysis. Their raised voices and demands for the reunification of Ireland grows stronger by the day. As Irish Republicans we believe that the unity of our country and its people is the only way to secure justice and to cherish all the children of the nation equally. “We, the Republican prisoners, have borne witness not to the defeat of Republicanism, but to the rise of a rejuvenated movement across the island of Ireland. We remain fully confident of our eventual victory. “The lies and distortions of the media, the press and politicians alike have not been sufficient to hide the grim reality behind the facade of peace in Ireland. The flawed analysis of those who proclaimed the Stormont agreement as a stepping stone to Irish unity has been comprehensively disproved. The Crown force occupation of the North continues. In Derry, Fermanagh, Armagh, Down, Antrim and Tyrone there are still large numbers of British occupation forces terrorizing the local Republican and Nationalist people and their communities. “While this continues there will always be Republican resistance to this occupation. In the words of Francis Hughes; ‘We have no prouder boast than to say we are Irish and have been privileged to fight for the Irish people and for Ireland. We have a duty to perform to the full in the unshakeable belief that we are a noble race and that chains and bonds have no part in us. There is no white flag and there will be no surrender’. ‘Victory to the All-Ireland Republic’ An phoblacht Abú”. Officer Commanding, I.R.A Prisoners. On behalf of the Republican prisoners Maghaberry Gaol. = ENDS = ************************************************ © The Irish Freedom Committee® NewsList - IFC Updates |