Posted by Jim on September 15, 2018
Before Bloody Sunday there was Ballymurphy. Its story must be told,
according to Callum Macrae, the director of The Ballymurphy Precedent,
a shorter version of which was broadcast on Channel 4 last weekend.
(For the Guardian)
Investigations into the actions of British soldiers during the Troubles
were branded a “macabre charade” by Lord Bramall, Britain’s former
defence chief, earlier this month. Sir Nick Carter, the current head of
the armed forces, also weighed in against “a clutch of vexatious claims”
against soldiers, and warned against what he reportedly dismissed as
attempts to “rewrite history”.
There is a very real problem with these comments. I have just made a
film that is not an attempt to rewrite history, but an attempt to tell a
hidden history. Neither Bramall nor Carter will like it, but this is a
story that needs to be told. Not just for the record, not just to help
redress a terrible damage done to the victims and their families, but
because the failure to acknowledge this history remains a block on
Northern Ireland’s painful road to peace and reconciliation.
On 10 September, a renewed inquest begins into the Ballymurphy deaths.
It can establish whether violence was justified
My film, The Ballymurphy Precedent, investigates a shocking series of
killings that took place over three days in west Belfast’s Ballymurphy
estate in 1971.
The incident is doubly significant because most, if not all, of those
killings were carried out by members of Britain’s elite Parachute
Regiment less than six months before Bloody Sunday, when the same
regiment shot dead 13 unarmed people in Derry’s Bogside.
The victims in Ballymurphy included a priest who was attending another
man who had been shot (the other man survived) – and a mother of eight
children. Several of the dead were shot more than once – some several
times. No credible evidence has been presented suggesting they were
armed. Autopsy reports reveal that several were shot in the back as they
ran away from the paratroopers. Ten of the victims died of gunshot
wounds – an 11th died of a heart attack during a confrontation with an
armed Para patrol.
Just as they did on Bloody Sunday, the army immediately released
statements describing the victims as gunmen and terrorists. Those claims
have never been withdrawn.
It was four decades before the Saville inquiry concluded that all the
victims of the Bloody Sunday killings in Derry were innocent. But
Saville also emphatically rejected any suggestion that the army sent 1
Para to Derry knowing what they were likely to do, or even that they
intended to do it. That effectively suggested Bloody Sunday was not the
fault of either the government or the Ministry of Defence, and largely
placed the blame on the commander of 1 Para.
Scuffles at Ballymurphy memorial hall in August 1971 I believe that what
happened in Ballymurphy makes that conclusion unsustainable. The army
chiefs in Belfast who decided to send 1 Para to Derry in January 1972
(to help control a massive anti-internment march), knew only too well
what the Paras had already done in Ballymurphy – and if they didn’t they
certainly should have. Police and British army commanders in Derry,
committed to a more conciliatory approach than those in Belfast, had
also warned of the dangers posed by importing the Paras’ hardline
tactics.
But I would suggest that Belfast’s hardline strategy was an inevitable
product of Britain’s whole approach to “peacekeeping” in Northern
Ireland. The Northern Ireland civil rights movement, which evolved in
the late 60s, had virtually identical demands to those of Martin Luther
King in the US. They boiled down to an end to discrimination and a
demand for an end to anti-Catholic gerrymandering – “one man, one vote”
as it was quaintly known in those days.
When loyalist mobs and unionist police responded to those civil rights
marches with violence and repression, rather like their white
equivalents in the deep south of the US, the UK sent in the army
ostensibly to “restore law and order”. They were welcomed by most
Catholics. In my film, Briege Voyle, the daughter of Joan Connolly, the
mother of eight who would later be shot dead in Ballymurphy by the
Paras, remembers her mother giving the soldiers tea and biscuits when
they first arrived. Voyle’s sister married one of the soldiers.
But where federal forces in the US effectively (albeit inadequately and
belatedly) took the side of the civil rights marches and enforced laws
banning segregation, the UK’s “federal forces” – the army – set about
restoring “law and order”. This was the law and order of an avowedly
sectarian, Protestant state, with all its panoply of discriminatory
practices.
It was therefore inevitable that many Catholics who had initially
welcomed the army as protectors soon began to see them as oppressors.
And after events like Ballymurphy and Bloody Sunday, it was equally
inevitable that many began to turn to the IRA.
There is another reason why the truth about Ballymurphy needs to be
told; and in the long term, it is probably the most important reason of
all. If the culture of impunity, licence and, frankly, indiscipline that
allowed these killings to happen is not acknowledged and addressed then
the clear danger is that these kind of events could happen again.
For that reason alone, I would suggest, Carter – as chief of the defence
staff – should stand wholeheartedly behind the search for truth and
justice over Ballymurphy, and all other incidents of concern involving
British forces during the troubles. Anything else would be an abdication
of his responsibilities.
On 10 September a renewed inquest begins into the Ballymurphy deaths.
While an inquest cannot establish criminal responsibility, it can
establish whether the violence was justified. For the relatives that
would be a start.
Posted by Jim on
An outpouring of emotion at the broadcast of a new documentary has
inspired hope that justice is finally within reach for the victims of an
infamous British Army killing spree.
Supporters walked from Belfast City Hall to the Belfast High Court on
Monday in a show of encouragement and solidarity for the families of the
eleven people who were killed as they attended a preliminary hearing for
a new inquest into the Ballymurphy massacre.
They were given a detailed timetable for the new inquest, which will get
underway on November 12th.
The shootings, which took place in the Ballymurphy estate in west
Belfast between August 9th and 11th, 1971, were carried out by the
British army as they sought to take control of republican areas in the
wake of the introduction of internment without trial.
A Catholic priest and a mother-of-eight were among those killed during
three days of gunfire by the Parachute Regiment. Another man died of a
heart attack following a violent confrontation with the troops in the
The new date for the inquest was issued by Presiding Coroner Siobhan
Keegan, and comes after years of preliminary inquiries. A long campaign
for a public inquiry was refused by the British government in 2011.
The Coroner’s Office is currently examining a database of the names of
almost 5,000 former British soldiers it received from the Ministry of
Defence just two weeks ago. It had been attempting to trace former
soldiers who may have been at Ballymurphy during the shootings to call
as witnesses to the inquest.
Around 100 supporters gathered outside Belfast High Court on Monday in
solidarity with the families before the hearing. Speaking outside court
Briege Voyle, whose mother Joan Connolly died in the shootings, said
they are determined to get the truth from the inquest.
“This is a very very big day for us, we have struggled hard for this for
the last 20 years,” she said.
“At the end of the day, our loved ones were murdered, cold blooded
murder and they have to admit it. Those soldiers are no different to
anyone else, they have to answer for it.”
Last Saturday, September 8, there was a huge online reaction to the
broadcast of a documentary on the subject by award-winning film maker
Callum Macrea, which was screened on Channel 4 at the weekend.
The documentary, which is a shorter version of his full-length film ‘The
Ballymurphy Precedent’, presents a reconstruction and forensic
examination of the grisly murders. It contains personal and
heart-rending accounts of the events from the relatives of those shot
At the preliminary hearing, Justice Keegan told the victims’ families
that “a new page has been turned” after decades of struggle. While the
inquest begins in November, the military witnesses are still not
expected to be called until January at the earliest.
The court has also heard criticism of the British Ministry of Defence,
with the coroner stating she “couldn’t understand why information could
not be provided sooner” and that the nature of the information coming
from the MoD was “not acceptable”.
John Teggart, whose father Daniel was shot 14 times, believes the
Ministry of Defence decision to hand over the information had again been
“The MoD has put this forward to swamp the coroner with information that
she is duty bound to look at,” he said.
“The families are devastated, they didn’t need that and don’t need
Justice Keegan has promised to challenge any further prevarication by
the British military. Following the preliminary hearing, the families
thanked the judge and applauded as she left the courtroom.
Posted by Jim on
An outpouring of emotion at the broadcast of a new documentary has
inspired hope that justice is finally within reach for the victims of an
infamous British Army killing spree.
Supporters walked from Belfast City Hall to the Belfast High Court on
Monday in a show of encouragement and solidarity for the families of the
eleven people who were killed as they attended a preliminary hearing for
a new inquest into the Ballymurphy massacre.
They were given a detailed timetable for the new inquest, which will get
underway on November 12th.
The shootings, which took place in the Ballymurphy estate in west
Belfast between August 9th and 11th, 1971, were carried out by the
British army as they sought to take control of republican areas in the
wake of the introduction of internment without trial.
A Catholic priest and a mother-of-eight were among those killed during
three days of gunfire by the Parachute Regiment. Another man died of a
heart attack following a violent confrontation with the troops in the
west Belfast estate.
The new date for the inquest was issued by Presiding Coroner Siobhan
Keegan, and comes after years of preliminary inquiries. A long campaign
for a public inquiry was refused by the British government in 2011.
The Coroner’s Office is currently examining a database of the names of
almost 5,000 former British soldiers it received from the Ministry of
Defence just two weeks ago. It had been attempting to trace former
soldiers who may have been at Ballymurphy during the shootings to call
as witnesses to the inquest.
Around 100 supporters gathered outside Belfast High Court on Monday in
solidarity with the families before the hearing. Speaking outside court
Briege Voyle, whose mother Joan Connolly died in the shootings, said
they are determined to get the truth from the inquest.
“This is a very very big day for us, we have struggled hard for this for
the last 20 years,” she said.
“At the end of the day, our loved ones were murdered, cold blooded
murder and they have to admit it. Those soldiers are no different to
anyone else, they have to answer for it.”
Last Saturday, September 8, there was a huge online reaction to the
broadcast of a documentary on the subject by award-winning film maker
Callum Macrea, which was screened on Channel 4 at the weekend.
The documentary, which is a shorter version of his full-length film ‘The
Ballymurphy Precedent’, presents a reconstruction and forensic
examination of the grisly murders. It contains personal and
heart-rending accounts of the events from the relatives of those shot
dead.
At the preliminary hearing, Justice Keegan told the victims’ families
that “a new page has been turned” after decades of struggle. While the
inquest begins in November, the military witnesses are still not
expected to be called until January at the earliest.
The court has also heard criticism of the British Ministry of Defence,
with the coroner stating she “couldn’t understand why information could
not be provided sooner” and that the nature of the information coming
from the MoD was “not acceptable”.
John Teggart, whose father Daniel was shot 14 times, believes the
Ministry of Defence decision to hand over the information had again been
deliberately delayed.
“The MoD has put this forward to swamp the coroner with information that
she is duty bound to look at,” he said.
“The families are devastated, they didn’t need that and don’t need
this.”
Justice Keegan has promised to challenge any further prevarication by
the British military. Following the preliminary hearing, the families
thanked the judge and applauded as she left the courtroom.
Posted by Jim on
Over a thousand people marched in Dublin on Wednesday after the new
Garda Commissioner colluded with hired thugs in an attempt to suppress
opposition to the government’s housing policy.
On behalf of an absentee landlord, a Garda ‘Public Order Unit’ was sent
out on Tuesday on North Frederick Street in Dublin city centre to
support a masked gang of some 15 to 20 men wearing balaclavas.
Operating out of a second-hand British police van, the gang, who are
believed to based in the North, forced their way into an abandoned
premises after it had been occupied by housing activists.
They illegally gained entry to the building using an angle grinder and
a sledgehammer and then proceeded with a forced eviction.
Outside, masked Gardai used batons, pepper-spray and direct assault to
break up campaigners, before posing for media photographs.
There were several injuries requiring hospital treatment, according to
‘Take Back the City’, the network of 18 grassroots activist groups who
are taking direct action against Ireland’s housing crisis.
One young man suffered a head injury and concussion after he was dragged
to the ground by masked men. Another was kicked in the head.
Trinity student Conor Reddy, who suffered an injured neck and
concussion, said he was attempting a peaceful sit-down protest on the
road outside the property, when he was attacked.
The operation has exposed the reactionary agenda of the Minister for
Justice Charlie Flanagan, and his new appointee, Drew Harris, a
notorious British collusion figure who Flanagan made head of the 26
County police earlier this month.
While in the RUC (Royal Ulster Constabulary), Harris directed a ‘dirty
war’ of oppression against Irish nationalists. Following his
inauguration on September 3, he described Irish republicans as “the
biggest threat on the island”. Within eight days, he sent out a masked
police gang to engage in a violent show of strength which bears the
hallmarks of fascism.
The images sent shock waves through Irish social media. They evoked
memories of the brutality of British establishment landlords who were
supported by the RIC, the predecessor of the RUC.
The following day, with little notice, a thousand people, young and old,
male and female, marched through the streets in a rally of empowerment
and defiance. The ‘Take Back The City’ campaign had called on people to
join them and march through Dublin to show that they will not be
intimidated, but even they were surprised by the numbers who turned out.
Public transport and traffic came to a standstill in the city centre as
protesters sat down on the intersection of O’Connell Street and Parnell
Street. Pictures of the gang wearing balaclavas were being held aloft by
protesters as they shouted chants of “shame, shame, shame”. People
travelled from all over Dublin and beyond to take part in the protest,
chanting “we will not be moved”.
A woman in her 60s drove up from Kilkenny for the protest. “I think it’s
just disgraceful and I agree with what these people are doing. Ireland
is screwed and we need action now.”
They marched towards a second vacant premises on Belvedere Place, where
activists are again facing eviction by a ‘heavy gang’.
The British-registered van used on Tuesday was previously owned by
Greater Manchester Police. It is thought the same untaxed British
vehicle, with no front number plate and no record of vehicle testing —
but using blue lights to convey a police function — was involved in a
previous eviction on behalf of KBC bank in Balbriggan last February. On
that occasion, anti-eviction activists said they believed loyalist
paramilitaries and former British Army soldiers had been involved.
The ‘Take Back the City’ campaign said it will continue to take over
vacant buildings to highlight property hoarding and other tactics used
by slum landlords and vulture funds. The umbrella group includes
activists from Dublin Central Housing Action, Dublin West Housing
Action, student group Take Back Trinity, and Dublin Renters’ Union.
In a statement following the eviction, a spokesperson for the group said
their campaign had received huge support and was stronger than ever.
They denounced the actions of the supposed ‘security firm’ who carried
out the forceful eviction on a building they said had been left idle for
more than three years. Ordinary tenants are being illegally and unjustly
ousted from their homes, they said, thanks to the physical support of
the state for evictions.
They also “utterly condemned” the actions of Gardai who they said had
“facilitated these illegal activities, arrested activists fighting
against the ongoing and unprecedented homelessness crisis in Ireland,
and used physical force in the process.”
Amnesty International Ireland called for an investigation into the use
of excessive force by gardai, while the Irish Council for Civil
Liberties called for a report from Commissioner Drew Harris.
Labour justice spokesman Sean Sherlock said Harris must explain the
“level of co-operation” between Gardai and the gang carrying out the
eviction.
Sinn Fein justice spokesman Donnchadh O Laoghaire said the scenes were
“very concerning” and called for an investigation by the Garda
Ombudsman.
“It is important that it is clarified whether the security firm who the
gardai were facilitating had the appropriate documentation of
identification, and under what legal basis they were there,” he said.
“Families up and down the country will look on at this with concern,
particularly those who are potentially facing eviction in the short
term, if this is the heavy handed approach that is to be taken to
facilitate private security in enforcing the will of landlords.
“The approach taken to the victims of the Housing crisis, and those who
are campaigning for change, is markedly different to that taken against
slum landlords.”
Posted by Jim on
FRIENDS OF FIREFIGHTERS SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITY
Friends of Firefighters, along with FF Tommy Phelan’s family and Marine 9 are honored to offer a $500 scholarship to the child of an FDNY Firefighter (active or retired) to be used specifically for SUNY Maritime College. There is no deadline, however the funds will be disbursed in 2018 so please apply in a timely manner via email at info@friendsoffirefighters.org or by calling (718) 643-0980.
HOLY NAME SOCIETY PAYROLL DUES DEDUCTION
The Holy Name Society, Manhattan, Bronx & Staten Island is a tax exempt, Catholic & fraternal organization which has served the FDNY for nearly 100 years, both uniform and civilian. They are starting to go green by providing ACTIVE MEMBERS ONLY with a PAYROLL DEDUCTION. To enroll, go to www.nyc.gov/ess, click Payroll & Compensations, go to Deduction Information, click Inquiries, find FDNY Fraternal Organizations and click on Holy Name Society. New members or members who have moved, transferred, or retired, should notify fdnyholynamesociety.com and include name, address, phone number, rank and assigned unit. Also for members who are using automatic deductions, please feel free to send a donation to the Fr. Mychal Scholarship Fund with your updated contact sheet to help ensure scholarships for future generations.
AFRICAN AMERICAN DAY PARADE
On Sunday, September 16, 2018, permission is granted for off-duty members to participate in the 2018 African American Day Parade. Participating members of the Department should assemble on W. 111th Street between Frederick Douglas and Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd., NY at 1200 hours. Dress uniform shall be worn. For more information contact Regina Wilson, FDNY Vulcan Society, at 718-749-7633.
The Bacon and Beer Classic is a nationally-touring food and drink festival coming to the USTA National Tennis Center (home to the US Open) on Saturday, September 29th. Now in its 5th year, the Bacon and Beer Classic provides each ticketholder with unlimited samples from 60+ NYC restaurants and 160 craft beers. The event features live music, games, and a bacon eating contest. FDNY members are being offered a 20% discount on all-inclusive tickets. Use discount code FDNY when purchasing tickets. More information and tickets can be found here: https://www.baconandbeerclassic.com.
NATIONAL STAIR CLIMB FOR FALLEN FIREFIGHTERS BENEFITTING FDNY CSU & NFFF
The FDNY and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation (NFFF) will host the 4th Annual National Stair Climb for Fallen Firefighters on Sunday, October 28, at Belmont Park. The National Stair Climb benefits the programs of the FDNY Counseling Service Unit and the NFFF which honors America’s fallen firefighters, provides assistance to their families and prevents line-of-duty deaths and injuries. Participants of all levels will climb stairs to symbolize the steps of the World Trade Center Towers and to honor all fallen firefighters, including the 343 FDNY members who died on September 11, 2001. This year, registrants can volunteer as one of 343 flag bearers. Belmont Park will have fun family activities and the New York Racing Association will raffle two 2018 Belmont Stakes Day reserved seats. Costs are: $50 for the Climb and After Party; $30 for After Party tickets; $20 for After Party tickets for children under 12; Children 3 and under are FREE. Gates open and on-site registration begins at 9:00 am. To register in advance or for more information, go to www.nationalstairclimb.com.