I would like to commend Aoife McNaught, Chairperson of the local Ogra Sinn Féin, for organising a vigil and protest to call for the release of political prisoners.
This initiative was the second in Derry in a matter of days, following the Irish R
epublican Forum for Unity’s candlelit vigil which too highlighted the plight of political hostages.
All over the world political prisoners struggle for justice and freedom from the Miami 5 (Cuban Trade Unionists) to the Derry Four. Each struggle bears its own challenges and significance.
This Christmas nearly 100 Irish Republican Prisoners of War will be incarcerated in gaol.
These men are imprisoned for pursuing our people’s right to national self determination and sovereignty.
Ógra Sinn Féin has called for those not released under the Good Friday Agreement to be released! I would like to ask Ógra Sinn Féin to extend this call to those prisoners who were arrested and imprisoned post Good Friday Agreement. Furthermore, I would ask them to support a campaign to oppose the criminalisation of these men.
The identity of a political prisoner cannot be changed by putting a criminal label upon him.
It is a sad fact, however, that republicans arrested after the Good Friday Agreement are being labelled as criminals based solely in their opposition to the British engineered “peace process”.
Furthermore the basic rights which were fought for with the lives and suffering of our hunger strikers, and which were afforded to other republican POWs, are now being denied to a new batch of republicans.
Aoife acknowledged at Ógra’s protest that the iniquity of internment continues to exist in Ireland and in other parts of the world today.
In our own town four of our citizens face the reality of internment this Christmas. Internment is a crime. It is a form of official oppression and has manifestly failed in Ireland. Moreover it is a lesson in inhumanity, tyranny and above all lies and hypocrisy.
Tomorrow Saturday, 20th December at 2pm a protest will begin at Free Derry Corner to campaign for the release of the Derry Four.
I would encourage Ógra Sinn Féin members given their pledge to concentrate on the issue of prisoners this month, to attend and begin actively supporting, participating and protesting against the internment of these men.
I hope to see you there Aoife,
TONY TAYLOR
(address supplied)
