Political status protest, Saturday 25th, GPO, 1pm

dublin | rights, freedoms and repression | event notice Monday September 20, 2010 14:22 by Republican Network Dublin - Republican Network for Unity RNUDublin at gmail dot com

POLITICAL STATUS NOW!
FREE ALL REPUBLICAN PRISONERS!

On Saturday the 25th of September at 1pm the Republican Network for Unity will be hosting a protest at the GPO on O'Connell Street in Dublin.

The purpose of the protest is to show solidarity with Republican prisoners within Portlaoise Gaol, Co Laois and in the North, Maghaberry Gaol in Co Antrim which also holds captive a number of men through the internationally condemned and unjust practise of internment by remand.

Recently POW's and internees in Maghaberry who due to extremely harsh treatment and a denial of their fundamental right to political status were forced to take action by barricading themselves in a recreation room within the prison in protest of the abuses met to them and their visiting family members by prison staff. As punishment for this action, the prison regime in Maghaberry forced prisoners to endure 23/24 hour lock-ups with denial of food and water commonplace.

Over the last number of years conditions for Republican prisoners at Maghaberry have deteriorated drastically with prisoners and their families being subjected to humiliating strip searches before and after visits, physical and psychological abuse and limited movement within the prison, all in contradiction with international protocol, which shows the extent in which the British government will go in its attempts to demoralise and criminalise Republican prisoners.

Such was the revulsion and anger within the republican community and those concerned about the gross denial of fundamental human rights for the men inside, that republicans hit the streets resulting in mass protests on the ground throughout the 6 counties and beyond. The mobilisation of republican activists was vindicated as the media, political establishment and British government were forced to take notice of the situation, this resulted in the demands of the prisoners such as free association and an end to strip searching being realised, a huge victory for prisoners and their families, considering the historically stubborn nature of Britain towards Irish republican prisoner's.

Unfortunately the hostile and politically motivated nature of the British prison system and that of their employee's in the North, means that the deal is in jeopardy, with the British prison regimes union supporting staff in not complying with the directions of the deal offered to the prisoners and internee's. It is now the case that the republican must again hit the streets and demand political status for the prisoners, yet again!

As is the norm, there has been a virtual silence from the media and the state within the 26 counties which shows the complacency that exists for British rule among the political establishment in the South, lending to the facade of 'normalisation'. It is up to republicans to hit the streets and let the people know what exactly is going on in the occupied North and to show the state that we will not be silent while Irish republican prisoners are being brutalized by a foreign regime in our own country.

We must also not forget the republican prisoners within Portlaoise gaol, some of whom are serving long sentences for thumped up charges, denied any sort of fair trial by the state's primitive and biased court system.

RNU wish to make it clear that this protest is not representative of any individual or group of republican prisoners, but is to show solidarity with ALL republican prisoner's and to promote the right of political prisoners to political status, and this is the message we wish to convey on the day, we hope this protest can be the catalyst for further political activism for republican's in the 26 counties.

We encourage Republicans, Socialists and all those concerned about the denial of basic human rights to join us on Saturday to protest against the criminalisation of republican POW's,

Any questions regarding the protest can be forwarded to [email protected]

Let the prisoners voice be heard, see you on Saturday!

POLITICAL STATUS NOW!
FREE ALL REPUBLICAN PRISONERS!

Le gach beannacht

Republican Network for Unity