Lenin1986
20th September 2013, 22:53
ADDRESS BY MICHAEL HOLDEN TO THE
1913 DUBLIN LOCK-OUT MEETING AT
CONWAY HALL, LONDON ON AUGUST 24th 2013.
We all know that in every war - in every conflict - there are inevitably prisoners -
prisoners-of-war, prisoners of conscience, political prisoners, and resulting from these wars, these conflicts, there are also inevitably prisoners support groups in one form or another.
I would like to first of all to tell you a little about our organisation - the Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group. The IRPSG was founded here in London just over four years ago by political activists, Communists, Socialists, Trotskyists and the purpose of founding the group was to highlight the treatment and conditions of political prisoners - not only in Ireland - but also in Lithuania, Greece, Palestine and the Basque Country.
We are not aligned to any political party or political organisation. We are however prepared to work with others who are of like mind to ourselves. Since our foundation in 2009 we have held several public meeting here in Conway Hall with speakers from the RNU (Republican Network for Unity) ín Derry, Republican Sinn Fein in Dublin - and several others including the Counahan-Sanchez Campaign.
The Counahan-Sanchez family were made homeless - a family of seven - told by Glenda Jackson and Brent council to upsticks and go and live in Wales - and by Rose McIntosh to go live in a caravan in a field in Ireland. We also campaign against what is now known as 'selective internment' - arrest and detention of (in many cases) former political prisoners who have served their sentences in the north of Ireland and - where like Martin Corey - they are re-arrested and held without charge INDEFINATELY!
Martin Corey has been held in detention now for over THREE years and is likely to remain a political prisoner held without charge for years to come - and there are others like Martin Corey.
There's Stephen Murney - a political activist - a member of EIRIGI - a legally registered republican socialist organisation. Stephen Murney was arrested last November 2012 and charged with several 'offences' - "distributing information that may be useful to terrorists." He had been handing out leaflets condemning the dawn raids by the RUC/PSNI on homes on his estate - just like many are doing here today in Conway Hall. He was also charged with possessing items which could be used for "terrorist purposes" - two flute-band uniforms! He was granted bail but the bail conditions were such that his human rights would be so curtailed they were unacceptable. To comply he would have to live five miles apart from his wife and family, not attend any any political meetings or events, agree to be tagged - and report DAILY to the RUC/PSNI Barracks - a further 12 miles away in a Loyalist area! He refused to accept these bail conditions so was remanded to Maghaberry Gaol. In the words of Pat McNamee - "newspeak is the term used by George Orwell in his book '1984' to describe the language employed to oppress people in what was a victitious totalitarian state. That state is not so fictitious now."
We also know of the Marian Price-McGlinchey case. This former republican prisoner spent 2 years in Maghaberry MENS prison on remand and then in
Hydebank Prison in solitary confinement on very dubious charges. She was only
released on bail because of poor and deteriorating health fairly recently.
Last year members of the IRPSG met with Irish (Leinster House) embassy officials and raised the question of 'extraordinary rendition', and the issuing of Irish passports in Dublin to a rogue state in the Middle East - who then used said passports to travel to Europe and carry out assasinations of leading Palestinians living outside Palestine. On the subject of Extraordinary Rendition we knew flights coming from Poland, Romania, Iraq and Afghanistan were landing regularly at Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland with cargoes of kidnapped political prisoners which - we believe - were destined for either the USA or Guantanamo Bay. When we raised these issues with embassy official Deirdre Lyster we were told answers to the Extraordinary Rendition issue and the granting of Irish passports to non-nationals would be raised with the Irish Foreign Ministry in Dublin and we would in due course be given explanations at a follow-up meeting at a time to be agreed. Needless to say there was no follow-meeting and we were never given any explanation.
More recently - and only a few days ago - we know the partner of American journalist Glen Greenwood was arrested under so-called 'anti-terror' legislation. David Miranda was held and questioned for 9 hours - not about himself - but about his partner Glenn Greenwood. Greenwood had written about British Surveillance Programmes in operation in UK and USA, based on inormation leaked by Edward Snowden currently in hiding in Moscow. It can rightly be said that David Miranda
was, for those 9 hours in detention a political prisoner.
Any one of us could be victims of dubious and oppressive legislation if those in power are unhappy about what we say - or in the case of Stephen Murney - be unhappy with what we write, or the flute-band uniform we might have in our home, or in the case of David Miranda don't like the company we keep. We can be detained just like Martin Corey, or be framed like Michael McKevitt.
Comrades and friends, there are two alternatives! ONE, we can surrender and accept what is happening - or TWO, we follow the example of the Counahan-Sanchez family and their supporters who refused to lie down to threats and intimidation - in fact showing us the way forward. In solidairity
1913 DUBLIN LOCK-OUT MEETING AT
CONWAY HALL, LONDON ON AUGUST 24th 2013.
We all know that in every war - in every conflict - there are inevitably prisoners -
prisoners-of-war, prisoners of conscience, political prisoners, and resulting from these wars, these conflicts, there are also inevitably prisoners support groups in one form or another.
I would like to first of all to tell you a little about our organisation - the Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group. The IRPSG was founded here in London just over four years ago by political activists, Communists, Socialists, Trotskyists and the purpose of founding the group was to highlight the treatment and conditions of political prisoners - not only in Ireland - but also in Lithuania, Greece, Palestine and the Basque Country.
We are not aligned to any political party or political organisation. We are however prepared to work with others who are of like mind to ourselves. Since our foundation in 2009 we have held several public meeting here in Conway Hall with speakers from the RNU (Republican Network for Unity) ín Derry, Republican Sinn Fein in Dublin - and several others including the Counahan-Sanchez Campaign.
The Counahan-Sanchez family were made homeless - a family of seven - told by Glenda Jackson and Brent council to upsticks and go and live in Wales - and by Rose McIntosh to go live in a caravan in a field in Ireland. We also campaign against what is now known as 'selective internment' - arrest and detention of (in many cases) former political prisoners who have served their sentences in the north of Ireland and - where like Martin Corey - they are re-arrested and held without charge INDEFINATELY!
Martin Corey has been held in detention now for over THREE years and is likely to remain a political prisoner held without charge for years to come - and there are others like Martin Corey.
There's Stephen Murney - a political activist - a member of EIRIGI - a legally registered republican socialist organisation. Stephen Murney was arrested last November 2012 and charged with several 'offences' - "distributing information that may be useful to terrorists." He had been handing out leaflets condemning the dawn raids by the RUC/PSNI on homes on his estate - just like many are doing here today in Conway Hall. He was also charged with possessing items which could be used for "terrorist purposes" - two flute-band uniforms! He was granted bail but the bail conditions were such that his human rights would be so curtailed they were unacceptable. To comply he would have to live five miles apart from his wife and family, not attend any any political meetings or events, agree to be tagged - and report DAILY to the RUC/PSNI Barracks - a further 12 miles away in a Loyalist area! He refused to accept these bail conditions so was remanded to Maghaberry Gaol. In the words of Pat McNamee - "newspeak is the term used by George Orwell in his book '1984' to describe the language employed to oppress people in what was a victitious totalitarian state. That state is not so fictitious now."
We also know of the Marian Price-McGlinchey case. This former republican prisoner spent 2 years in Maghaberry MENS prison on remand and then in
Hydebank Prison in solitary confinement on very dubious charges. She was only
released on bail because of poor and deteriorating health fairly recently.
Last year members of the IRPSG met with Irish (Leinster House) embassy officials and raised the question of 'extraordinary rendition', and the issuing of Irish passports in Dublin to a rogue state in the Middle East - who then used said passports to travel to Europe and carry out assasinations of leading Palestinians living outside Palestine. On the subject of Extraordinary Rendition we knew flights coming from Poland, Romania, Iraq and Afghanistan were landing regularly at Shannon Airport in the west of Ireland with cargoes of kidnapped political prisoners which - we believe - were destined for either the USA or Guantanamo Bay. When we raised these issues with embassy official Deirdre Lyster we were told answers to the Extraordinary Rendition issue and the granting of Irish passports to non-nationals would be raised with the Irish Foreign Ministry in Dublin and we would in due course be given explanations at a follow-up meeting at a time to be agreed. Needless to say there was no follow-meeting and we were never given any explanation.
More recently - and only a few days ago - we know the partner of American journalist Glen Greenwood was arrested under so-called 'anti-terror' legislation. David Miranda was held and questioned for 9 hours - not about himself - but about his partner Glenn Greenwood. Greenwood had written about British Surveillance Programmes in operation in UK and USA, based on inormation leaked by Edward Snowden currently in hiding in Moscow. It can rightly be said that David Miranda
was, for those 9 hours in detention a political prisoner.
Any one of us could be victims of dubious and oppressive legislation if those in power are unhappy about what we say - or in the case of Stephen Murney - be unhappy with what we write, or the flute-band uniform we might have in our home, or in the case of David Miranda don't like the company we keep. We can be detained just like Martin Corey, or be framed like Michael McKevitt.
Comrades and friends, there are two alternatives! ONE, we can surrender and accept what is happening - or TWO, we follow the example of the Counahan-Sanchez family and their supporters who refused to lie down to threats and intimidation - in fact showing us the way forward. In solidairity