Remember the 1981 Hunger Strikers!

national | miscellaneous | event notice Dé Máirt Meán Fómhair 25, 2012 18:54 by éirígí PRO - éirígí eirigibac at gmail dot com

“On Saturday, October 6th, éirígí will commemorate the ending of the 1981 Hunger Strike with a Black Flag Vigil at Dolphins Barn Bridge from 1pm to 2pm.”

REMEMBER THE 1981 HUNGER STRIKERS!

In March 1981a number of young Irish republican prisoners went on hunger strike in the H-Block prison outside of Belfast. Their protest was part of a campaign to reinstate political status for political prisoners, something which had been abolished by the British government five years earlier.

The then British Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, made it clear that she viewed the struggle for a Thirty-Two County Irish Socialist Republic as nothing more than a criminal conspiracy. The stage was therefore set for a major conflict between the starving prisoners and the British state. When the Hunger Strike ended seven months later ten brave Irish republican volunteers were dead and so were Britain’s attempts to criminalise the Irish republican struggle. Within a short number of months political status was restored to the remaining prisoners.

“On Saturday, October 6th, éirígí will commemorate the ending of the 1981 Hunger Strike with a Black Flag Vigil at Dolphins Barn Bridge from 1pm to 2pm.”

Damien Farrell, éirígí representative for Dublin’s south inner city, is asking socialists, republicans, community activists and other members of the community to come along and show their support for the 1981 Hunger Strikers and the cause for which they died.

Speaking about the event Damien said, ‘This is the third year that éirígí members and supporters have held this commemorative vigil and each year support from the community has increased. The determination that the Hunger Strikers showed remains an inspiration to this day. They showed the true spirit of Irish republicanism, taking on an apparently unbeatable enemy and sacrificing themselves for the good of their fellow prisoners and the cause that they believed in.

Like never before the people of this community and this country need a socialist republican movement to challenge the rich and powerful. Like never before, we need to get ourselves organised to stop the cutbacks and the new home and water taxes. Like never before we need to be inspired by the likes of the 1981 Hunger Strikers and those who fought in this city in 1916. They understood that when you are under attack you have no choice to but to get organised and fight back. Join us on October 6th and remember the sacrifice of the 1981 Hunger Strikers and be inspired by them to join our struggle for a new, all Ireland socialist republic.’