IRSP condemn Gardai repression in Waterford

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IRSP condemn Gardai State Repression in Waterford
June 20, 2007

The IRSP Ard Comhairle condemn the activities of Gardai special branch in the Waterford area following the arrest and charging under section thirty of two local IRSP members James Butler and John O’Donoghue.

The IRSP views these arrests as a crude attempt to disrupt and hinder the continuing development of the IRSP in the twenty six counties.

Ard Comhairle member Pól Little stated that the latest events highlighted the draconian nature of the southern criminal justice system.

“This is clearly an attack on the IRSP as well as radical political agitation within the 26 Counties.
Today we have two individuals who face substantial prison terms on the word of a single Gardai officer, all because of their political orientation.”

“It is clear that Section 30 must be scrapped and we will be flagging the plight of these two individuals with all appropriate Human Rights bodies.”

Statement Ends

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related article:


Two Waterford men charged with INLA membership
[Published: Wednesday 20, June 2007 - 12:44]

Two Waterford men have appeared before the Special Criminal Court charged with membership of the INLA on the 18th of this month.
Twenty-six-year-old John O'Donoghue, of Clonard Park, Ballybeg, and 55-year-old James Butler, of Ardmore Park, Ballybeg, were arrested as part of Operation Anvil last night.

Detectives had questioned five people as part of a major operation targetting serious crime in Waterford.

Two other men and a woman were released without charge.

When charged under section 30 of the Offences Against the State Act, Mr O'Donoghue replied: " I am not a member of the INLA", while James Butler replied: "No".

Both men have been remanded in custody by the three-judge court until Friday at 11am.

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking...icle2683090.ece (http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/ireland/article2683090.ece)

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The Membership of Dublin IRSP view the recent arrests and subsequent
incarceration on politically motivated trumped up charges of two Waterford
based members of our party as akin to selective internment.

The internment of Jimmy Butler and John O´Donohue should be a cause of
great concern for all political activists, particularly those who rebel
against the status quo and are viewed as anti gfa dissidents. The
internment of these two party activists comes in the wake of a full scale
harrassment campaign directed against members and supporters of the IRSP
paticularly in the Dublin area. This campaign which is carried out
enthusiasticly by the special branch at the behest of their political
masters in leinster house, has been aggressively targetting not only
members and supporters of Dublin IRSP but also there wives, partners and
children.

They collectively have been subjected to a sustained campaign of
harrassment and intimidation ranging from frequent stop and search, house
raids, calling to places of work, parking outside members homes for hours,
etc.

It is a sinister development when two party members in Waterford ( who
incidently only joined the party less than a year ago) can be arrested and
charged with membership of an illegal organisation based solely on
suspicion where subsequently in a diplock court they can be convicted and
receive a substancial sentence based on the suspicion of a garda sargeant
or above acting on undisclosed confidential information.

All party activists who are involved in campaigning work on behalf of
there communites and class, involved in pickets, protests and campaigns
which highlight social injustice should take stock of the draconian
measures been used by the state to silence dissenting voices. The question
is, What can be done to counteract such draconian measures which attacks
the democratic principle of the right to politically organise. Those
interested in highlighting injustice should as a matter of urgency contact
there local politicians, civil liberties groups, human rights groups and
people of influence highlighting the internment of our two comrades on
politically motivated trumped up charges.

[praxis1966]

And here I thought the Diplock courts were a thing of the past. Un-frickin real.

[bolshevik butcher]

It's disgraceful but I can't help but fear somewhat predictable that the ruling class in the free state is happy to maintain their role as gate keepers for British Imperialism will do all it can to hinder the efforts for a socialist united Ireland.

Best of luck to the IRSP in this battle with repression. Please excuse my ignorance but what exactly is section 30?

[Connolly]

Please excuse my ignorance but what exactly is section 30?

Pages 157 - 181

Powers of Arrest and Detention.

http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/hederman%20r...an%20report.pdf (http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/hederman%20report.pdf/Files/hederman%20report.pdf)

They were suspected of being members of an illegal organisation.

[praxis1966]

Which, by all rights, is an aggregious human rights violation. Section 30 has been used to justify arresting people for simple membership in a banned organization since such membership makes them 'concerned' in the crime. It assumes criminality, basically guilt by association.

It also stipulates that 'A member of the Gárda Síochána (if he is not in uniform on production of 'his identification card if demanded) may without warrant stop, search, interrogate, and arrest any person, or do any one or more of those things in respect of any person, whom he suspects' of crime. Essentially, it's saying you're a member of X organization so you probably did something wrong. There's no concept of 'due process,' whether procedural or substantive, so it isn't necessary to establish probable cause like we have in the U$ (or at least did have until the PATRIOT Act).

It allows arrest on a whim, more or less, and has historically been used as way of persecuting people who vocalize opposition to the government in Ireland.

[bolshevik butcher]

Thankyou for your help comrades. So much for an end to the days of interment then?

[PRC-UTE]

Originally posted by bolshevik [email protected] 22, 2007 02:21 pm
Thankyou for your help comrades. So much for an end to the days of interment then?
Youre correct comrade.

This was clearly an attack on the party which has recently made gains in the south of Ireland. The IRSP in Waterford is the newest cumann (branch) of the party and has successfully attracted working class / communit activists as members. It's gaining in support there and is implementing the IRSP strategy of building a mass political movement. The day before the raids these same members attended a united commemoration for the "founding father" of Irish republicanism, Wolfe Tone alongside friends from the 32csm and ex-pows pressure group. Add all that together and it's obvious why the Irish ruling class is anxious to criminalise the alternative to british misrule and capitalism that we represent.

One of the comrades charged with INLA membership had only been with the party a few weeks. We are supposed to believe that in that matter of time he'd become something of a hardcore guerilla type? This is a transparent attempt to stall the party's development and scare potential members away.

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If any comrades here belong to a party or organisation that would like to send out a message of solidarity or concern at the human rights of these party activists being violated, please get in touch with me asap.

[redflag32]

Solidarity with the IRSP members.Political policing must come to an end in Ireland!