Vigil in support of Republican Prisoners and the Lebanese and Palestinian Peoples

cork | anti-war / imperialism | press release Wednesday August 09, 2006 22:14 by MacCurtain/McSwiney Cumann RSF- Corcaigh - Republican Sinn Fein rsfcork at eircom dot net

Vigil in support of Republican Prisoners and the Lebanese and Palestinian Peoples

Solidarity was shown when about 120 people turned out at 2pm on Saturday August 5th at Daunt Square in Cork for a vigil to highlight the continuing attempts at the criminalisation of Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry and in solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian people, in opposition to the widespread and devastating Israeli military attacks on civilians.

Statement from the MacCurtain/McSwiney Cumann - Corcaigh

Vigil in support of Republican Prisoners and the Lebanese and Palestinian Peoples

Solidarity was shown when about 120 people turned out at 2pm on Saturday August 5th at Daunt Square in Cork for a vigil to highlight the continuing attempts at the criminalisation of Republican Prisoners in Maghaberry and in solidarity with the Lebanese and Palestinian people, in opposition to the widespread and devastating Israeli military attacks on civilians.

The vigil for Political Status was organised by the MacCurtain/McSwiney Cumann of Republican Sinn Fein Cork, and the RPAG (Republican Prisoners Action Group), whose members were in attendance. This was done in association with the vigil for the Lebanese and Palestine Peoples organised by AntiWarIreland, the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign and the IAWM, the attendance was diverse, and included members of a variety of left-wing groups.

Hundreds of leaflets were handed out, highlighting the present conditions in Maghaberry and the continuing protest for Political Status, which after been won by the sacrifices of ten brave men in 1981 has been removed by the British Government and those who signed the failed 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

The reaction from passers by was positive.

Other leaflets from the IAWM calling for workplace and trade union 'blacking' of Israeli goods were also given out.

Republican POW's in Maghaberry have been engaged in a prison protest since 19th June 2006 and there are now over thirty POW's on the protest. They are fighting to improve conditions for segregated prisoners in Maghaberry who are in effect being punished for exercising their right to segregation from non-political prisoners. They are demanding that their 5 demands be addressed.

1. RIGHT TO FREE ASSOCIATION
2. END TO CONTROLLED MOVEMENT
3. RIGHT TO FULL TIME education
4. SEPARATE VISITING FACILITY
5. RIGHT TO ORGANISE OUR OWN LANDINGS

POW's in Portlaoise have been acting in solidarity with their comrades in Maghaberry during the prison protest

The POW's are relying on the Irish people to stand with them in their fight to improve conditions and ultimately to win back Political Status. The Irish people have never failed POW's in the past and we have faith that they will not fail them now.

These men are prisoners of war due to the continued illegal occupation of the six counties by England and deserve to be treated as such.

* 1981: They were political prisoners then
* 2006: They are political prisoners now.

Help end the prison struggle; support the Republican POWs. Political status is a right not a privilege. This issue cannot be ignored any longer, it must be dealt with and these demands must be addressed.
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RSF Cork: http://www.rsfcork.com/