Posted by Jim on November 5, 2016
James Connolly-Let Us Free Ireland!
Let us free Ireland! Never mind such base, carnal thoughts as concern work and wages, healthy homes, or lives unclouded by poverty.
Let us free Ireland! The rackrenting landlord; is he not also an Irishman, and wherefore should we hate him? Nay, let us not speak harshly of our brother – yea, even when he raises our rent.
Let us free Ireland! The profit-grinding capitalist, who robs us of three-fourths of the fruits of our labour, who sucks the very marrow of our bones when we are young, and then throws us out in the street, like a worn-out tool when we are grown prematurely old in his service, is he not an Irishman, and mayhap a patriot, and wherefore should we think harshly of him?
Let us free Ireland! “The land that bred and bore us.” And the landlord who makes us pay for permission to live upon it. Whoop it up for liberty!
“Let us free Ireland,” says the patriot who won’t touch Socialism. Let us all join together and cr-r-rush the br-r-rutal Saxon. Let us all join together, says he, all classes and creeds. And, says the town worker, after we have crushed the Saxon and freed Ireland, what will we do? Oh, then you can go back to your slums, same as before. Whoop it up for liberty!
And, says the agricultural workers, after we have freed Ireland, what then? Oh, then you can go scraping around for the landlord’s rent or the money-lenders’ interest same as before. Whoop it up for liberty!
After Ireland is free, says the patriot who won’t touch socialism, we will protect all classes, and if you won’t pay your rent you will be evicted same as now. But the evicting party, under command of the sheriff, will wear green uniforms and the Harp without the Crown, and the warrant turning you out on the roadside will be stamped with the arms of the Irish Republic. Now, isn’t that worth fighting for?
And when you cannot find employment, and, giving up the struggle of life in despair, enter the poorhouse, the band of the nearest regiment of the Irish army will escort you to the poorhouse door to the tune of St. Patrick’s Day. Oh! It will be nice to live in those days!
“With the Green Flag floating o’er us” and an ever-increasing army of unemployed workers walking about under the Green Flag, wishing they had something to eat. Same as now! Whoop it up for liberty!
Now, my friend, I also am Irish, but I’m a bit more logical. The capitalist, I say, is a parasite on industry; as useless in the present stage of our industrial development as any other parasite in the animal or vegetable world is to the life of the animal or vegetable upon which it feeds.
The working class is the victim of this parasite – this human leech, and it is the duty and interest of the working class to use every means in its power to oust this parasite class from the position which enables it to thus prey upon the vitals of labour.
Therefore, I say, let us organise as a class to meet our masters and destroy their mastership; organise to drive them from their hold upon public life through their political power; organise to wrench from their robber clutch the land and workshops on and in which they enslave us; organise to cleanse our social life from the stain of social cannibalism, from the preying of man upon his fellow man.
Organise for a full, free and happy life FOR ALL OR FOR NONE
Posted by Jim on
A statement from Saoradh member, Damhnic Mac Eochaidh, read out at the
demonstration against British/PSNI harassment in Belfast, and also one
by 15-year-old Ailise ni Mhurchu from west Belfast, on the with PSNI
stop and search procedures she has ednured while going to and coming
from school.
A chairde,
Can I first of all begin by thanking you all on behalf of Saoradh for
attending here tonight. It is to be commended that we have such a good
turnout here, given the short notice and cold weather.
As Republican activists, no quarter is given and none should be asked
for. We have taken the conscious decision to embark on a life of
struggle, a life committed to achieving Freedom for our country and
betterment of the lives of the working class. We seek to remove the twin
evils of occupation and capitalism as we achieve liberation. We make no
apologies for that, and are aware of the intimidation, harassment,
hardship, imprisonment and possible death that awaits us.
Accordingly, we face an enemy that is willing to use the tools at its
disposal. Fists, batons, tasers, plastic bullets and live ammunition are
but equipment to the Crown Forces. Their real tools are the various
forms of legislation they utilise in futile attempts to break the
Republican Struggle. Legislation that has been imposed on us by a
foreign parliament at Westminster with no right to be in Ireland.
RIPA. The Terrorism Act. The Justice and Security Act. Stop and
Searches. Home Invasions. Arrests. Malicious Charges. Miscarriages of
Justice. Collusion. The murder of Irish citizens, the most recent just a
few weeks ago in our city centre.
These are all separate components of the British War Machine in Ireland,
supported by unknown numbers of MI5 operatives. All of which is
supported by a Sinn Fein/DUP coalition at Stormont, implemented by their
unionist “justice” minister. We continue to resist all these mechanisms
of British Rule.
In the course of their war on our communities, Britain and the Stormont
State has now taken to attacking and threatening the families and
children of activists. Not content with threatening the lives of their
parents, stealing their toys and consoles, confiscating laptops with
important exam coursework and wrecking their homes, the PSNI have now
specifically targeted children for harassment.
The children of activists, many of whom not yet in their teens, now find
themselves being the victims of stop and searches on their way into
school. They are being targeted on their way to GAA, soccer, boxing or
Irish dancing practice. Their hurling coaches are being threatened with
arrest for carrying sticks. Even on holiday, they are targeted by
whichever secretive arm of the Crown Forces MI5 deem appropriate. Is
this part of the process to pressure children into becoming informers
that Gerry Kelly has publicly stated he approves of?
It is no coincidence that this targeted harassment of children has
coincided with the recent launch of Saoradh. It is in the interests of
the State, of reformists and of the establishment clergy that there is
no national, articulate and radical Revolutionary Movement that will
organise to oppose their collective agenda. This, allied with the
efforts of the gutter press, condemnation from reformists and the
hysteria of political unionism are the age-old combination of forces
that has traditionally railed against progressive, socialist, Republican
alternatives. Those who support the armed wing of unionism need to
publicly explain their endorsement of those who abuse our children, and
be honest as to the responsibility they bear with regards to passing
information to the PSNI on activists and their children.
We are here, Saoradh are here, along with other welcome organisations
and individuals, to state that nothing will break us. We will not be
strangled at birth. The advantage of movements such as ours is our
resilience and the strength of comradeship. Our activists, our families
and our children have the collective strength and internal support to
withstand these attacks. We also want to appeal to the public, anyone
who is the victim of harassment, intimidation or approaches and thinks
they are alone. You are not alone, contact Saoradh and we will assist
and support you.
They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the
spirit of one Irishman who doesn’t want to be broken.
—————————————————————
Ailise ni Mhurchu
I am glad to get the opportunity to speak here tonight about my
experiences of British stop and search powers. The first time I was
stopped and searched was I was 11 years old on and it happened on Lanark
way. I was frightened being surrounded by so many members of the PSNI.
At that time I didn’t realise that this would become the norm for my
family. 5 years later, I’ve now overcome those fears.
I’ve been in my daddy’s car during most of the stop and searches and
have got used to it. I’m still only 15 years old and still at School.
I’m now in my important GCSE years and have recently experienced stop
and searches while being brought to school and some times being late. I
find it difficult trying to explain why I be late. Outside of my family
I feel like a lone voice, especially among those whom I feel have a duty
to protect me as I have done no wrong.
I’ve now began to question why is this happening? and why these PSNI
people are not challenged by any politicians? As a 15 year old, I am now
speaking out and I would hope more and more people who should know
better would speak out against these stop and searches. I see the PSNI
as an oppressive force denying me my freedoms as a human being.
I just want to finish by saying in the words of Martin Luther King, “In
the end we will remember, not the words of our enemies, but the silence
of our friends”.
Posted by Jim on
Amid fresh protests over abuses at Maghaberry Prison, a key mediator in
an agreement struck in 2010 to ease tensions at the jail has admitted
the deal collapsed as a result of unionist political pressure.
One of the deal-brokers said former Justice Minister David Ford failed
to enforce a deal to limit controversial measures such as prisoner
strip-searches, because he was under obligation to the DUP.
“I do believe there is interference in the sense, in our view, the then
Minister of Justice was probably beholden to the likes of the DUP for
his position as Minister for Justice and I think that probably resulted
in him lacking the resolve to tackle this matter head-on,” mediator and
trade unionist Peter Bunting, has said.
He was speaking to a parliamentary committee in Dublin on the
implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. It was told available
technology had done away with the need for invasive body searches, one
of the more controversial issues at the jail, but the agreement to end
them was abandoned.
Strip searches remain part of everyday life in the jail. Prisoners are
also isolated for extended periods – with one prisoner being locked up
23 hours a day for five years – and denied education. Mr Bunting said
strip-searching was being used as a “tool to suppress people” in the
Roe House wing of the prison, where republican political risoners are
housed.
David Ford, who was replaced as Justice Minister earlier this year, has
denied acting on behalf of the DUP in the role. Mr Bunting and another
mediator met with Mr Ford’s successor Claire Sugden in May, and were
assured a speedy review on the agreement’s implementation, but he said
they have heard nothing back since then.
“There is both a sectarian attitude and there is political interference
towards these people,” he said.
Senator Frank Feighan, who sits on the committee and who visited the
prison, said he was concerned over political interference with the
minister for justice. “If that was happening down here it would be a
serious national scandal,” he said.
The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association welcomed the
insights.
“Despite Republican Prisoners doing everything in their power to ensure
the terms of the agreement were met, when it was quickly reneged upon
by the Maghaberry administration, Ford insisted the blame lay with the
Republican Prisoners,” they said.
“When he was asked to provide evidence of how the Republican Prisoners
had reneged on the agreement, he had the audacity to claim threats
against staff on social media had resulted in him drawing the
conclusion that Republican Prisoners had reneged on the agreement.
The IRPWA also expressed concerned that despite an initial meeting with
the new British Minister for Justice, they have yet to hear a word back
from her after six months.
Posted by Jim on November 4, 2016
Former Parade and Celebration Committee chairman John Dunleavy, waving to the crowds at a St. Patrick’s Day Parade.Irish America Magazine
Debbie McGoldrick
The Bronx Supreme Court judge who will decide the outcome of the ongoing lawsuit over the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade said he will not consider a pleading letter sent last week by the attorney representing the plaintiff, former Parade and Celebration Committee chairman John Dunleavy, sources told the Irish Voice.
Judge Robert Johnson received two recent letters from Dunleavy’s attorney Francis X. Young and John Tully, who was nominated to succeed Dunleavy as committee chairman late last year. Johnson was assigned the case after the retirement of Judge Alexander Hunter, who in May heard oral arguments from Young and Mitch Mandell, the attorney representing the defendants, St. Patrick’s Day Parade board chairman Dr. John Lahey and director Frank Comerford.
On October 26, Young sent a letter to Johnson, a former Bronx district attorney, requesting that the sides be allowed to put forth oral arguments again. Young wrote that the sides failed to come to agreement on an “order to show cause” on how to proceed during a meeting in the judge’s chambers on September 6.
“Almost two months since we appeared before your honor, we still do not have a resolution of the fourth order to show cause. Defendant Lahey continues to ignore the bylaws and does exactly as he pleases,” Young wrote.
“I ask that we be permitted an opportunity to come back and put forth our arguments on the record so that your honor can render a decision.”
Johnson also received a prior letter from Tully, who said the Parade and Celebration Committee that he heads stands “ready to assist the court in any way in its decision-making process. We have not sought to intervene directly in the matter to avoid complicating the issues before you.”
Tully’s letter said the committee was formed in adherence with the bylaws of the St. Patrick’s Day Parade Corporation which oversees the parade and which Lahey heads.
“No one disputes that the purpose of the corporation is to run the New York City St. Patrick’s Day parade. Nor does anyone claim that the Parade Committee is independent from or supersedes the corporation,” Tully wrote.
“It is indisputable that the corporation is responsible for and has ultimate authority over the parade. It is also indisputable that since its inception, the corporation ran the parade through the Parade Committee and that the Parade Committee reports to the corporation.”
Tully’s letter added that his committee was “not permitted to perform our legal roles for the 2016 parade. We deferred any argument so as not to distract from the 2016 parade, pending resolution of this lawsuit.
“Our Parade Committee has an obligation to make every effort to perform our duties consistent with the wishes of the affiliated organizations who were empowered by the bylaws to elect the Parade Committee. The corporation has not allowed us to perform our duties. The sooner this issue is decided by the court, the better for us all.”
Meanwhile, the grand marshal for the 2017 parade, Northwell Health President and CEO Michael Dowling, will be formally introduced during a reception at the Irish Consulate in New York on Thursday, November 17.
