They know that in every age and every' generation for more than three centuries past. not one single generation of Irish prisoners has consented to wear the convict uniform: that in every generation. the struggle for political status has been fought and won - sometimes at the cost of life itself.
The British callous matched only by their dishonesty and expediency.
Justification They say that there is a question principle involved demands of the lot explain how this squares up with the • OTI special sentenced before 1976 or the justification for its arbitrary removal.
The only logical answer is the base motive veneconce with a belief that the resistance movement was on the By the letter of their own special antidemocratic legislation, they stand exposed and indicted born Ine Powers Act and the Prevention of Ter. rorism Act include, at the end of a list of 'scheduled offences' other corned out tion'. So much for principle.
Who would deny that it is imperialism that has produced the Blanketmen, their comrades in Armagh, that they are the intransigence is of • rerusing. • Ine But they do status for those direct coupled, perhaps, point of defeat silence.
Emergency
the words 'or anv nian with political motivasions, called by the Armagh Co-ordinating Committee.
result and the victims. of im. perialism.
Yet, from the Irish labour movement leadership, with a few honourable exceptions, come a deafening and disgraceful They engage in cop-outs such as 'to get involved would be to condone the activities of those in the H Blocks'.
They ignore the threat posed to the working class as a whole by the draco under which those in question were arrested, tried victed. They ignore that over 80 per cent were convicted on the basis of confesmany of them oral. "any casts mey Haughey and Thatcher discussing joint studies, esnecial v those covering 'institutional structure mean Thatcher acknowledged that south does indeed have the particularly of human dignity.
and con- establishment also ignore or office.
Long Kesh and Armagh wil e debated at the European Parliament. and even at the united Natons in these inrepression in Ireland → Dall l cou al all Foreign Office standara bearer Ior Britain throughout the this and has ending the embarrassment distort democratic decisions by the rank and file expressing concern or ding action on the H Blocks The more for the trade union movement, nothing can justify silence, indifference or inactivity on the ill-treatment prisoners and the deprivation To the rank and file, we say rebel. Do not allow opportunist and pro leadershio to speak you either by their utterances or silence. Speak out, push the situation as far as you can in your branch, factory or Stand up and be counted. - but what?
wnich would, in the long throw into DOS LOT ot the north of Ireland Thatcher has yet to work out how to sell such an tion to the Loyalists and it is for this reason that SIK •ш ш в Sunill in the House of Commons.
Leaving the reaction of the Loyalists aside, would happy pollical withdraw Resistance we must do.
fen our resistance......
When we take inspiration from unbending faith because -frontation years. if it great deman. would not only tional struggle.
of die, Will be rise up, growing for their heroism of the hunger strikers.
in Dublin.) pet. The flop of the Atkins lan is the latest example of although the greates Drilal! continues to face is the strength of the anti-imperialist resistance in the north.
Such is the context in which it seems possible that thatcher has decided consider more radical would directly volve the south of Ireland and Charlie Haughey in particular.
Haughey has proved co quarter, no justice, no humanity from the At this stage, they can do little than live out their lonely protest But this is not true of us on the outside weaken or tire, we must the courage and ine prisoners, make no mistake - this con .180C greatest does, it also presents a because victon faithful lives but also represent a giant save courageous and step towards the completion of the Let us raise our fist in angry warning notice to the British. If any of the strikers overwhelmed by the anger of the Irish people, by the anger of support solidarity with the justice of their cause Let us raise our fist also in salute to the (This article is an edited version of a speech made by Phil Flynn at a recent demonstration him at least some authority in helping to de-mobilise th northern This does not mean that Thatcher has decided to end presence Ireland; only that she is will ing to explore an direct political control in the summit as historic while in exaggeration, could con tain an element of truth the
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ca Statio Demonstrators march last Thursday to Thatcher's house in Chelsea,
The hunger strikers do not want to die but they expect to die. They expect no
There is much that we can do; much that We must re-double our ef- forts, strengthen our determination, stif-