Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group's picket of the Ministry of Justice

international | rights and freedoms | news report Sunday August 15, 2010 20:03 by Gerry Downing - Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group, London. gerdowning at btinternet dot com PO Box 59188, London, NW2 9LJ

The Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group welcomes the resolution of the conflict in Maghaberry.

The Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group welcomes the resolution of the conflict in Maghaberry. The prison-ers demands had been con-ceded and that there will be a phasing out of controlled move-ment and random strip search-ing has been abolished.

The IRPS held a 20-strong picket of the Ministry of Justice, Petty France, London on 7 August 2010. The picket involved com-rades from Socialist Fight, the Revolutionary Communist Group (Fight Racism, Fight Imperial-ism!), Workers Power, the Irish Political Status Committee and the Free Mumia Abu-Jamal campaign.

Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group's picket of the Ministry of Justice

“End the torture in Maghaberry, political status now!” and “Political Status for political prisoners” were the slogans chanted on the picket to passing sightseeing tourist buses and those emerging from St James’s Park station.

The political and ethnic diversity of the picket showed that the struggles of Irish political prison-ers has powerful resonance not only among serious revolution-ary socialists but also among those campaigning internation-ally for justice for the oppressed.It was therefore enormously heartening to see the Mumia Abu-Jamal supporters and Abdul Omer there.

Special mention must go to Terri Gavin. Not only did she pay for the new IRPSG banner but she struggled on her Zimmer frame to stand on the picket line and shout her slogans in support of Irish POWs, as she has done for over half a century.

Terri Gavin

Abdul Omer Moshin, victimized sacked Unite Convenor of Sovereign Buses in North West London addressing the picket