Republican Socialist News

Posted by IRSP at 15 June , 2010

The Irish Republican Socialist Party wish to extend our sincere congratulations to the families of the Bloody Sunday dead and wounded, to all those who supported them and to the people of Derry for their unmovable dedication to clearing the names of those who were killed and wounded on 30th January 1972.

Today they have finally been vindicated.

Today’s verdict is also a damning indictment on British military involvement in Ireland. Their involvement is one of persecution, brutalisation and oppression and this fact has been laid bare, through the Saville Report, for the entire world to see. No longer can Britain claim to have been a neutral party intent on keeping two warring factions at bay, no longer can Britain claim that their involvement in Ireland is a peaceful involvement. From the very beginning their involvement on the streets of Ireland was to keep a population of civilians in their place.

Many of those who were prominent in the Civil Rights campaign went on to become founding members of the Republican Socialist Movement and carried on their fight for justice within the IRSP and INLA. They had first hand experience of the events of Bloody Sunday and the events of that day obviously helped steer them in a certain political direction. Both Patsy O’Hara and Michael Devine, the Derry INLA hungerstrikers, cited the events of Bloody Sunday as having influenced their decisions to become involved in the military struggle for freedom in Ireland such was the huge impact of what they had experienced on that day. Patsy O’Hara was recuperating from a previous bullet wound inflicted by the British army and on the day of Bloody Sunday watched the march pass the Brandywell. Micky Devine later wrote about attending Creggan Chapel and seeing all the coffins laid out in front of him and from that moment on resolving to help rid Ireland of the British army once and for all.

It took 38 years for the truth to come out but finally, after much campaigning by many people, the British establishment have finally admitted that all those that they shot on Bloody Sunday were totally innocent. Today is a wonderful day for the families and they deserve every credit for the way in which they have conducted themselves since 1972. Their dignity has always been tempered with a silent determination to get the British establishment to admit the truth of what happened on that fateful day.

There has been a lot of early speculation as to whether there should be prosecutions following the publication of this report. Our position is clear. We will take the lead of the families and if the families want to further pursue this we will continue to support their efforts.

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Posted by IRSP at 6 June , 2010

The Irish Republican Socialist Party [IRSP] wishes to put on record our opposition to the slashing of Sligo Borough Council’s housing budget. Currently, the situation in Sligo in relation to housing is at breaking point, with over 1200 people on the Borough and County Council waiting lists. To deal with this growing problem the government has instructed local authorities to lease derelict houses belonging to property developers on a long-term basis. The IRSP sees this ‘strategy’ for what it is. It is a further attempt by this government to come to the aid of their friends and cronies. Under the initiative, local authorities are responsible for the upkeep of the property during the leasing period. This is obviously a very beneficial arrangement for the owner. It is plain to see that the inspiration behind the leasing scheme was not a concern for those in desperate need of housing, but rather to help Fianna Fáil’s supporters through the recession until the market recovers.

Stating his opposition to this recent government proposal, Sligo IRSP representative Ross Gildea said:

“This situation will undoubtedly get worse as more and more families struggle to meet inflated mortgage payments. It is totally unfair to put people in a situation where they must take up the leasing offer or be bumped down to the bottom of the waiting list. The leasing initiative offers no security for tenants, little opportunity for those who aspire to own their homes and only serves to destroy community spirit. This must be seen in the wider context of government policy, like the bank bail-outs. Why is it that funding for housing is being slashed, with no money seemingly being available for the homeless and vulnerable in society, yet when failed institutions like Anglo-Irish Bank get into trouble there is no limit to the amount which can be spent? This contradiction is made all the more contemptible by the fact that it is Fianna Fáil who encouraged people to get onto the property ladder during the boom and to pay these massive mortgages. It was their policies that have led to mass unemployment and to more and more people feeling the full effects of this recession and applying for social housing.”

Gildea continued:

“There is no excuse, with an estimated 300,000 properties lying vacant in Ireland, for the state not to acquire these empty properties and provide secure and suitable housing for people. The leasing scheme is designed to come to the rescue of Fianna Fáil’s developer friends, while simultaneously acting to disrupt communities and pressurise families into an arrangement that is not right for them, one that offers no stability or prospect of purchase. We in the IRSP have been active on the housing issue with our ‘House the Homeless’ campaign and will continue to work until a satisfactory resolution is found. It is now time for these properties to be acquired by the state and for stable housing arrangements to be made for those in need. People should not be bullied and threatened into this scheme through fear of losing their position on the waiting list. This proposal has nothing to do with meeting housing needs, the current crisis is being used as a flag of convenience for Fianna Fáil to bail-out their loyal supporters .”

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Posted by IRSP at 2 June , 2010

On behalf of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement, the Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America unreservedly condemn the Zionist state of Israel for its murderous attack on a flotilla of civilian vessels carrying humanitarian aid to Gaza.

The Israel Defense Forces’ commando attack on the Freedom Flotilla in international waters early Monday morning resulted in the deaths of at least ten activists aboard the lead ship and injuries to dozens more. The six ships in the flotilla were carrying humanitarian aid to Palestinians under siege in Gaza, and were illegally boarded by IDF personnel eighty miles out in international waters. When activists responded in self-defense, the commandos opened fire.

The organizations which sponsored the flotilla, the Free Gaza Movement and the Turkish-based IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation,planned to deliver 10,000 tons of food, medicine, construction materials, wheelchairs, and other aid. Israel has been engaged in an illegal blockade of Gaza since 2007, as a form of collective punishment against the residents of Gaza, provoking a major humanitarian crisis condemned by numerous human rights organizations and other non-governmental organizations.

The majority of the more than 600 activists aboard the ships were Turkish, but there were also activists from Ireland, the United States, Britain, Australia, Greece, Canada, Malaysia, Algeria, Serbia, Belgium, Norway, Sweden, and Kuwait, and included Nobel laureate Mairead Corrigan-Maguire, European parliamentarians, human rights activists, at least one Holocaust survivor, and Dr. Fintan Lane (son of former Irish Republican Socialist Party chairperson Jim Lane). In a troubling development, those aboard were kept away from the media, allowing the Israeli government to control the message of what happened before and during the raid.

These are the rogue actions of a rogue state. Israel was born a rogue state, and will remain a rogue state as long as it exists in defiance of the national rights of the Palestinian people. All progressive minded people must stand together against the brutality perpetrated by this rogue state, whether it be the daily oppression meted out to the Palestinian people or acts of aggression against those who would aid the Palestinians.

The Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America call on Israel to immediately release all Freedom Flotilla activists currently being held, and put an end to the illegal blockade of Gaza. Further, we salute the courage of the activists who were willing to risk their lives to aid the Palestinians, and mourn the loss of those who died.

# # #

Irish Republican Socialist Committees of North America
PO Box 901479
Kansas City MO 64190-1479
USA
irscna@irsm.org

http://www.irscna.org/

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Posted by IRSP at 25 May , 2010

Since 1775 Lifford has had medical facilities for the people of East Donegal, a long tradition of care for the community exists in the town.

Over 200 years of service and help is to be cast aside in the planned HSE cuts, a blatant attack by the 26 county establishment on the working class of the North West.

These cuts to essential services all over Ireland are a product of the greed and mismanagement of the nation’s economy by the Irish ruling class vast sums of the people’s money was squandered during the last few decades to pay fat salaries and bonuses to the nations ruling elite while the rest of the population scrambled to get a tiny piece of the cake that was the “Celtic Tiger”.

When the inevitable happened and the capitalist economy crashed the rich who caused the recession through NAMA paid themselves a figure that some now think may exceed 100 Billion.

NAMAs bailout of the fat cats will come from the Irish peoples pockets for a generation to come, yet the Irish people through the Proclamation of the Republic have claim to over 400 Billion Euros worth of natural resources of the west coast, why did we not use that 400 Billion Euros to build our economy? Because Shell has laid claim to the peoples natural resources the Irish economy will see but a tiny fraction of that 400 Billion Euro with the vast majority in the hands of a greedy multinational corporation.

So while the 26 county establishment pushes through essential services cuts social welfare cuts education cuts infrastructure cuts the Irish people will suffer while the rich get richer.

The IRSP stands shoulder to shoulder with the staff and patients of Lifford hospital and indeed the people of North West in opposition to these cuts, let the fat cats know that the working class people of Donegal will not be walked over

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Posted by IRSP at 13 May , 2010

Republican socialist prisoners detained upon E4 landing Portlaoise
wish to convey a message of solidarity with Maghaberry POWs
enduring an unnecessary campaign of retrospective brutality, in a
foolish revival of the British Government’s attempts to criminalise
Irish political prisoners.

RSM POWs were to the forefront in ending the last attack on the
rights of political prisoners in 1981 and since then the Republican
Socialist Movement has evaluated and analysed continually the
causes and effects of prison struggle upon the entire political
environment of the nation.

It is astounding that in an era where the entire R.S.M have engaged
upon an analysis of our position, bravely promoting the ideal of a
new era of coherency and pragmatic political advances for the
improvement of the Irish people and the rights of the working
class, solely through dialogue and mutual respect, the British
would decide to revive the politic of intransigence regarding the
rights if political POW.

We stand with our comrades in Maghaberry and with the IRSP in their
efforts to highlight this issue and echo their calls for common
sense to prevail on the part of the government.

We further express our solidarity to the families of Maghaberry POW’s
who are unnecessarily enduring the anguish and pain of not knowing,
and we assure them that as we stood by the POW of 81 we stand by
them now. Our thoughts are with you.

Republican Socialist Prisoners
E4 landing
Portlaoise Gaol

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Posted by IRSP at 9 May , 2010

I.R.S.P. statement on crisis in Maghaberry
9th May 2010

Following a white line Picket in west Belfast on Saturday in support of the republican socialist and republican prisoners in Maghaberry, the IRSP have called for direct lines of communication to be established between prisoner representatives and the prison regime.

Since Easter Sunday the situation has seriously deteriorated, conditions endured republican prisoners are a direct infringement on their human rights and cannot be allowed to continue. Maghaberry prison regime is presently a rudderless ship and prisoners have been forced by the prison regime in to protest action.

IRSP spokesperson Paul Little said:
“It is important that we do not allow the POA to dictate the conditions in which Republican socialist and Republican prisoners are being held, the fact that Maghaberry Prison has not had a senior governor and the recent POA industrial action are contributing factors in the decline of conditions within the prison.

The prisoners at present are on a 23-hour lock up, unable to wash or use the toilet and are refusing to eat on such unhygienic conditions in their cells, Prisoner have also been assaulted by prison officers. We believe this is in direct violation of their human rights, the prisoners have two basic demands Free association and an end to needless and degrading strip searches, these are fair and equitable demands and have no direct bearing on security within the prison”.

The IRSP will initially be seeking meetings with both the Prisoners Ombudsman and the Human Rights Commission to discus the current plight of the prisoners, it is imperative that this situation in Maghaberry is not allowed to continue and dialogue between all those involved is needed to bring a speedy resolution to this issue. The IRSP is fully committed to supporting the prisoners in finding a solution to the current empass.

STATEMENT ENDS

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Posted by RSYM at 1 May , 2010

May Day is a very special occasion for all socialists and progressive-minded people. It is a day when we not only commemorate the Haymarket Massacre, where working men and women in America paid the ultimate sacrifice fighting for their rights, but it is also a day for us to celebrate. On this day we remember with a great sense of pride all the past victories of our class and look to them for inspiration, as we move ever further towards our goal of complete national, economic and social emancipation in Ireland.

May Day is also a time for us to show solidarity with the struggles of workers internationally. With that in mind, we in the Republican Socialist Youth Movement would like to extend comradely greetings to all those engaged in anti-imperialist struggle, whether they be in Palestine, Iraq, Afghanistan or elsewhere. Like Ireland, we demand an end to the imperialist occupation of all sovereign nations and their people, and for the release of all illegally held prisoners. We salute all those who risk their lives and liberty in the fight against capitalist exploitation and imperialism. As capital is international, so must we be, and it is heartening to see the fight against U.S. imperialism and capitalism being fought on many fronts, from the Middle-East, to the Philippines, to Latin America. We send our sincere solidarity to all of you.

On a domestic level, Ireland and its workers are facing many problems, not least this current economic crisis. The living standards of normal working people are under attack by those who wish to preserve their failed system. The ruling class in the South of Ireland are determined to make the low-paid and vulnerable pay for the careless risk-taking and profiteering their system rewards and perpetuates. If the judicial system in this country is not going to bring about justice for us to the bankers, developers, speculators and political elites who have robbed our nation and our people, then the working class must mobilise and cast our own judgement. This government has played a very clever game in seeking to drive a wedge between public and private sector workers. We must see beyond this and realise that if they strike a blow against any worker, whether in the public or private sector, it is an attack on all of us.

North of the border, due to the sectarian structures present in the Northern Ireland statelet, we now see class issues being drowned out in the interests of neo-liberalism. Issues like class have been made totally subordinate to what is essentially a sectarian headcount. It is clear the Belfast Agreement does nothing to alleviate sectarianism and only serves to divide and ultimately disempower our class. Workers North and South of the border find themselves artificially divided against their interests and solely in the interests of imperialism and capitalist dominance. This situation must end, and the only solution can be found in the politics of Republican Socialism.

The Republican Socialist Youth Movement urges all workers to cast aside all the artificial divisions between them, designed and implemented by the ruling classes of Ireland and Britain, and to mobilise towards breaking the connection between this country, Britain and capitalism. We urge you to spurn the advances of lying careerist politicians in the South who will tell you that all we need is a change of government, and also the reformist bastardism of Republican Socialism in the North of those who claim to represent our interests. For it is true to say that there is no parliamentary road to our goals as some may claim, as the struggle for both national liberation and socialism are intrinsically linked it is clear that neither can ever be achieved through the institutions capitalism has created to oppress and exploit us.

It is now time to return to the politics of Connolly, Costello and Wolfe Tone.

Victory to the working class and onwards to the 32 County Socialist Republic!

Ard Chomhairle
Republican Socialist Youth Movement

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Posted by IRSP at 13 April , 2010

The national executive of the Irish Republican Socialist Party wish to express our concern at the treatment of republican and republican socialist political prisoners in Maghaberry.

We will be endeavouring to visit the republican socialist prisoners this week to ascertain the facts of what conditions the prisoners are enduring at present.

The prisoners are currently being punished for wearing Easter Lilies by a 23hr lock up, confined to their cells, which have been stripped of their personal belongings. The regime is only allowing one prisoner at a time get a shower thus insuring some prisoners do not have the opportunity to wash. Legal visits, family visits and association have been interfered with. Political prisoners are also complaining of sleep deprivation due to being constantly awoken during the night by prison staff. This petty strategy by the authorities and the P.O.A. should cease immediately.

It is imperative that prisoners are not used as pawns by the P.O.A. in their industrial action, to that end we would caution the P.O.A., British government and indeed the Stormont regime against continuing down this road that can only result in continued confrontation.

We pay tribute to the republican and republican socialist political prisoners, their determination and that of their families and friends and call on all those who profess to care about human rights to support the prisoners in their hour of need.

We are calling for an end of this petty campaign by the P,O,A and the restoration of Political status, the only solution that will insure that political prisoners human rights and entitlements are safeguarded.

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Posted by IRSP at 19 March , 2010

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Posted by IRSP at 2 March , 2010

During a meeting today members of the IRSM spoke to one of the protesting workers from Green Isle foods, John Guinan, who is currently on hungerstrike along with fellow worker Jim Wyse.

In a show of solidarity members of both the IRSP and RSYM joined comrades on the picket line and Hunger Strike outside Green Isle Foods Naas Co Kildare.

A member of the IRSP outlined our activism over the their plight to Hunger Striker John Guinan and TEEU reps that were there, John expressed his heart felt thanks and said our activism and concern for them ment “more than anyone could imagine”.

John said the only way this will work is if the people refuse to buy Green Isle Products “we need the support of the people its been slow in coming but since the rally on Saturday local national and international media have been turning up every hour and RTE haven’t left but it is up to the Irish people they are the ones that will make or break this strike we need there support”.

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