The Tories call these men 'commThey know who the real 'criminwhich has occupied their country, killed those who dare to respond in cold blood. The recent murder strikers, by SAS assassins, leaves The Tory government may be Ireland. strikers but the mass mobilisations of the Irish people show that they the 6 Counties and protest actions begun to mobilise support against in the coming weeks. The widest Support for the demands of the 7 hunger-strikers in H-Block is sweeping through the North of On October 26th - the day before the 'fast until death' began - over 25,000 marched through Belfast in solidarity with the prisoners. Organised by the National H-Block Cttee, it underlined the popular feeling building up behind their courageous stand.
Similar demonstrations have occurred in other parts of the 6 Counties. 1,000 marched in Dungiven, County Derry, and a similar number marched through Derry itself the following day. In County Tyrone, 600 protested through the town of Coalisland. What is equally significant, the protest actions have begun to extend into the South. On October 25th - the day before the hunger strike was due to begin - several hundred took part in a public meeting in Dublin and a torchlight procession the following day.
Over the past few weeks - as in the North - a series of vigils and meetings have been held in such towns as Drogheda, Monaghan and Dulkalk. On November 22nd, over 10,000 took to the streets again in Dublin and handed in a letter to the Irish Parliament demanding Premier Charles Haughy take action to force Britain to concede political prisoner status.