IRA & Support

[WilliamGreen]

Recently I was visiting a mate in the North.

He was filling me in on the local scene of which areas the INLA, Provos, Contos, Reals, ONH, and various other organizations are known for being prevelent in.

we toured around the murals, the political offices, had some beers with various people :)

In all it was a wonderful time.

The one thing I noticed though was the support.

Lets say some leftists activists in the west or other parts of europe do something.

What do they have for support, what does their families have for support?

Nothing. Maybe theyll get a few letters. And frankly that's why we don't have a lot of on the street action. People know there is no one that has their back, etc.

In the north of Ireland even though the situation is miles away from what it ws in the 70's, etc if these guys go to prison or whatever harrasement by the state they have both local and international support. Letters, Money, jobs to help them back on their feet after incarcartion, their families get help, etc.

I'm not saying it's perfect but they have a community both at home that feels they are part of them, and they have an international support base that actually does something.

And maybe that's why groups like SF and others where able to bring about something in their country. Able to change things a little.

What we need for our leftists is something. Some kind of serious support group, so when you go in you don't come out 10-15 years behind with no skills, no contacts, etc.

If you went in as an electrician we should have guys on the outside willing to pick them up when they come out and give them a job baam. Food and support for the families, Letters of encouragement, etc.

So let's all think here, maybe high light organizations that are doing something like anarchist black cross and the others, help build something

Rather then leaving the real guys putting in work to face the full force of the problem by themselves.

[Prometeo liberado]

Interesting, for people in the states they're looking at life time in solitary confinement for even the smallest bullshit. Up the RA!, my friend.

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

That could be thought of as aiding terrorists.

"Any movement that does not support its political internees is a movement destined to fail."

- - - -

Re: OP
There are a variety of prisoner support groups out there, from stuff like the Anarchist Black Cross Federation (http://www.abcf.net/) to the Prisoner Correspondence Project (http://www.prisonercorrespondenceproject.com/) to California Prison Focus (http://www.prisons.org/) - and many political organizations have their own associated prisoner support, like the IWW's General Defense Committee (http://www.iww.org/projects/gdc). Look around - there might be something closer to home than you expect.

[Danielle Ni Dhighe]

Teach na Failte has done good work with former prisoners belonging to the Irish National Liberation Army, helping them educationally, with job training, etc.

[Futility Personified]

Don't let the moron derail an interesting thread. The idea sounds quite solid to my mind, though it assumes a level of community control that just doesn't exist in many places. There would need to be a saturation of ideas in an area, good level of class consciousness etc. Aren't those types of support traditionally called solidarity networks in leftist circles?

[WilliamGreen]

Marshal I think your just playing devils advocate to make sure the conversation doesn't just narrow into all agreements which I think is good :) but I think you should also note that violence and terrorism are simply uses of language. The people suffering in many countries don't so much see their community groups as terrorists, only the foreign powers who funny enough the locals always seem to call murders and terrorisers.

The "enemy" is always a terrorist or evil, just is how the world has seen to paint conflicts.

P.s. As one previous poster mentioned this thread is not about the acts or how the mentioned today are operating. It's simply about showing how community support and integrated networks can help people that we feel are within our ideology and being punished for such.

There are many people in this world being locked up for simply writing letters and or speaking out let alone those coming together as armies.

[WilliamGreen]

P.s. This thread has went in a lot of directions hah

Maybe we could all get it back on track by posting some ideas that have come to our minds over the years relating to the issue :)

[The Garbage Disposal Unit]

I trashed most of this thread - all of the one-liners, and everything that came out of Marshall Of The People's "TERRORISM!" derailment.

Everyone smarten the frig up, especially mods.

[WilliamGreen]

Thanks TGDU,

maybe you have some good ideas :)

[tallguy]

Recently I was visiting a mate in the North....

...The one thing I noticed though was the support.....

....In the north of Ireland even though the situation is miles away from what it ws in the 70's, etc if these guys go to prison or whatever harrasement by the state they have both local and international support. Letters, Money, jobs to help them back on their feet after incarcartion, their families get help, etc.....

I'm not saying it's perfect but they have a community both at home that feels they are part of them, and they have an international support base that actually does something.....

.....What we need for our leftists is something. Some kind of serious support group, so when you go in you don't come out 10-15 years behind with no skills, no contacts, etc......We are all too busy over here being distracted with bourgeois identity politics. For example, when we get the concession of gay people's marriages being blessed by a man in a frock in a building used to oppress the minds of people for centuries. Or, when we get some obscure linguistic terminology changed in some area of our civil institutions. We all celebrate like we made a difference. Like we won something. Like what has happened is anything more than merely a cosmetic sop by those that rule us to keep us quiet, keep us tame and keep us distracted.

We have won nothing.

What we lack (I speak only for the UK, as that's where I come from) is class-consciousness and class-solidarity, as if that needs even spelling out.

Left politics over here is a co-opted bourgeois joke.

[boiler]

Is there a support group for the anarchists prisoners locked up in Greece?

[WilliamGreen]

That's a really good question boiler, maybe some of our european comrades are knowledgeable on that.

Could be that anarchist black cross is covering them.

[boiler]

I always just assumed they had a support group since there are quite a few anarchists in prison in Greece. What type of support would the Anarchist Black Cross give? As youv already said Republican prisoner support groups help prisoner's family's and give prisoner's money and stuff like that. Does the Anarchist Black Cross do similar?

[WilliamGreen]

You know I couldn't tell you.

Maybe someone here is associated with the group and can speak for them, much how Danielle Ni Dhighe can speak for the IRSP and associated groups and is respected for it.

Also I think tallguy made a really good point, identity politics are in a sense ruining the strength of the left. We need to find our common points and highlight those and then break off and pursue our individual niches.

Though if anyone is familiar with the Irish situation it is all about identity politics. There are so many splinter groups it's mind boogling. Yet on prisoner rights, parades, shows of strength. In those areas a lot of the time they can still get together, and that's what allows them to accomplish things.

[standfirm]

As the OP stated the number of republican organisations and splinter groups popping up in Ireland is mind boggling. However many are doing more harm than good.

But the main groups that represent prisoners such as Cogus, Cabhair, IRPWA ect; do well to support all POW's.

Just take the case of Stephen Murney who has been locked up for over a year on charges that would be laughable if it wasn't so serious. There is calls from near enough all republican groups to for this man to be returned home to his family.

Hopefully all groups continue to support all Political prisoners and they continue to show those who occupy the north that they cannot defeat the spirit of the Irish people in their fight for freedom.


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[La Guaneña]

Comrades, you could also look up the example of the MST in Brasil. They don't even have a centralized bank account. Every land occupation or action, that involves dozens or even hundreds of families is self-funded by the landless families and by the ones that have already been settled by the land reforms, with money or just food and other stuff produced on the farm.

[WilliamGreen]

This could be interesting to look into.

In the end that's what makes movements successful. The cooperation of the public for those brave heroes that are willing to take measures that may cost them their freedom or lives.

So I think all the groups out there in the revolutionary left should start unifying on prisoner and activist issues. Will most likely lead to more people taking on bigger operations when they know the culture of support is there.