Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Gardai Search farmland along Fermanagh/Monaghan border
Gardai/ERU Search farmland along Fermanagh/Monaghan border
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement condemns the Gardai and the ERU, Emergency Response Unit, for a recent search operation it carried out on farmland in the townland of Drumully on the Fermanagh/Monaghan border last week.
The owner of the land that was being searched contacted a member of the 32csm in Fermanagh to say that he confronted heavily armed men on his land last week who said they were from the Gardai.
The man, who does not wish to be named, is a local farmer, said that he was awakened in the early hours of the morning last week by his dogs barking. As the man went outside to check he saw a large amount of men with guns out on his land and in his outbuildings.
Shocked at these events that where unfolding before him the man then cautiously approached these armed men to see what they were doing on his land as he confronted them they stated that they were Gardai and produced badges of identification to the man and said that they were carrying out a routine search.
When asked by the farmer what they were searching for they said "it’s in relation to terrorist activity in the area".
The search went on for a number of hours and nothing was found.
There were no Garda vehicles present during the search. When the search was over unmarked vehicles with Southern registrations and blackened out windows removed the armed party from the scene and sped in the direction of Clones.
The 32csm in Fermanagh condemns this invasive and intimidating activity by the Gardai. We ask people who may notice suspicious activity or have been the focus of other unknown Gardai/ERU searches in the area to come forward to the 32csm in Fermanagh so as to expose this blatant harassment of vulnerable people.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Public Meeting Regarding the POWs in Maghaberry
Public Meeting
A public meeting is to be held in Conway Mill, Falls Road, on Saturday 29 May 2010.
The meeting will be chaired by Maura McCrory former leader of the relatives action committee (RAC).
The panel will consist of prominent speakers as well as a POW family member.
This meeting has been organized by the Ex-Pows Familys and Friends group .
The aim of the meeting is to form a proper committee who will tasked with moving on the campaign on behalf of OUR POWs.
The demand is simple we want Political Status restored.
OUR POWs are now being criminalised and brutalised by the very same system that the Blanket Men and Hunger Strikers fought against .
Theirs is the same Demand.
Bobby Sands:
“Everyone, Republican or otherwise, has their own particular part to play. No part is too great or too small; no one is too old or too young “
RESTORE POLITICAL STATUS NOW!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Protest at Maghaberry Prison
Statement from Family, Friends and EX POWs
The Concerned Families and Friends of Maghaberry prisoners note with dismay the continuing deterioration of conditions in Maghaberry prison. On Thursday 6th May Harry Fitzsimmons was forcibly removed from his cell and placed in isolation. During this process the screws beat Harry.
• We demand the immediate removal of Harry Fitzsimmons from the isolation unit and his return to the main wing with the rest of his friends.
• We demand immediate medical attention for Harry and express our concern at the manner in which he was removed from his cell and beaten by screws.
• We demand the immediate reinstatement of the humane and safe living conditions within the prison regime which were implemented following the tragic hunger strikes of 1981.
• We demand the immediate end to controlled movement which is being used by the screws to isolate and intimidate prisoners.
• We demand the immediate end of degrading and humiliating strip searches.
• We demand the end of the free rein given to the POA in reversing the gains of 1981 and their determination to implement a regime based on brutality and sectarian bigotry.
• We demand an answer from the Minister for Justice: Who ordered the beating of Harry Fitzsimmons and who will be held responsible for it? The Justice Minister or the sectarian cavemen of the POA?
Maghaberry prison is a prison not fit for purpose; prison is a place of denial of liberty, it is not a sadistic toy to be utilised as a centre of brutality and psychological terrorisation where defenceless prisoners are subjected to the degradations of the hostage, as in Maghaberry today. We will not stand by and allow this draconian regime to continue unchallenged in Maghaberry prison. These prisoners are human beings and as entitled to protections under human rights legislation as any of us.
The situation in the prison could be remedied quite rapidly with no loss of face on either side given that the prisoners are not asking for new demands or new mechanisms which have not previously been granted, and could quite easily be reintroduced. Ends.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
The Treatment of Republican POW’s is Horrendous
Tuesday May 11 2010
The Treatment of Republican POW’s is Horrendous
The treatment of Republican Prisoners Of War and political prisoners alike in Maghaberry gaol is nothing short of disgusting and inhumane. The abusive treatment by Prison employees has escalated drastically in the past few weeks.
Recently Republicans have been informed that they will receive no showering facilities, no visits, no phone calls and no exercise time, this is clearly in breach of their human rights. Another issue that seems to be part of the screws plan of action is withholding food from the men for days on end, another very serious breach of human rights.
Strip searches have become another weapon of choice for Maghaberry screws it is being used in such a fashion as to humiliate the Republicans under their control. It was also being used extensively against family and friends visiting the gaol.
Strip searches were being carried out a highly inappropriate number of times, even when men were walking from wing to wing they were being intermittently searched when they had no possibility to have received contraband items. Due to the wide spread use of this tactic Republicans have refused to strip down past their boxer shorts resulting in numerous beatings.
Numerous men are being sent to the SSU (Special Supervision Unit), this was previously called the Punishment Unit but was later renamed. The understanding of these actions by Republicans is that this is just another excuse to try and separate Republicans and break their morale.
Most personal belongings have been stripped from the men’s cells, leaving them with nothing but a mattress and the clothes they stand in. When Republicans saw a comrade receiving a severe beating by a number of balaclava clad screws, in protest and in the hope of stopping the vicious assault they wrecked their cells, including their toilets and sinks, this obviously flooded their rooms, where they had to stay for the duration of the night with a six inch puddle of water surrounding them. When the screws did eventually move the prisoners to dry cells while they clear the rooms, they soaked the POW’s mattresses and moved them back in.
With no toilet facilities in their cells the POWs are expected to use buckets to defecate and urinate, in attempts to get rid of this human waste, they try have to throw what they can out windows and pour urine onto the landing which is often swept back in around them, this is fertile ground for various harmful bacteria and infections, which, as summer approaches, may result in an epidemic outbreak, in correlations with the lack of nutrition, resulting in weakened immune systems, this poses a serious threat to the prisoners’ safety.
Another incident reported to people before the communications shut down, was that food that was getting through to the POW’s was being tampered with, leaving numerous Republicans violently ill, the tampered food and no drinking water has compounded this health issue.
Not only is this a vicious and underhand campaign against legitimate political prisoners it is obviously a great health risk to the men suffering this reality. To compile the health risk POW’s that are on long term medication, have been refused their medicine for the past number of weeks, suffering in a regression of their medical well being.
The media have been absolutely deafening in their silence about this torturous campaign waged against our incarcerated Republicans comrades. The only reporting of this issue is coming from the Republican groups supporting these men and from a few humanitarian organisations.
If the media are refusing to document and shame the system for its vile actions, it is up to us as Republicans to take to the street to protest, poster and challenge this regime, we owe our comrades that much. They can ignore one of us, but they cannot ignore all of us.
32 County Sovereignty Movement
Saturday, May 1, 2010
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