Easter 2011

I have to say i was well impressed with the éirígí commemoration in Belfast at which roughly 700 people attended. The main oration was given by Breandán MacCionnaith and the proclaimtion read by ex-POW Gerry McDonnell. The Vols Patricia Black and Frankie Ryan Memorial Flute band from Glasgow was also in attendance

Here are a few videos and photos

éirígí Easter Commemorations

éirígí: House raids, riots and harassment in Newry

Once again nationalist areas in Newry are being targeted by the British police as yet more harassment along with house raids and riot situations are directed towards residents.
The latest in a long line of incidents occurred last Thursday [April 14] when a large convoy of armoured PSNI land rovers descended on the Carnagat/Parkhead areas of Newry.

The PSNI proceeded to raid a number of homes and damaged property over a period of over 6 hours, they were backed up with a helicopter that kept the local population under close surveillance. During this time local people going to the local shop were stopped and searched by these thugs in uniform.

A number of concerned residents approached local éirígí activists who quickly made their way to the scene. One of these residents described the scene as being “like Beirut”.

éirígí’s Stephen Murney was one of the activists at the scene: “We were approached by a number of residents who were concerned at the harassment of ordinary people going about their everyday business, as well as the actions of the PSNI who were in the process of tearing republicans houses apart. When we arrived we seen there was a large PSNI presence many of whom were heavily armed and dressed in heavy armour.

“At one stage I witnessed roughly eight riot-clad PSNI thugs running down the grass bank towards a group of youngsters standing by the Camlough Road bus shelters at the Derrybeg estate, some of them had their batons drawn and a number of them were carrying assault rifles. This then provoked a riot situation during which a number of armoured land rovers entered the Derrybeg estate in an attempt to draw the youngsters into confrontation. The PSNI had no reason to be anywhere near Derrybeg considering their repressive operation was talking place in another area.”

Stephen continued: “This is nothing new to the people of the Carnagat, Parkhead and Derrybeg areas. Numerous times over the past few months these areas have been saturated and subjected to house raids, harassment, and riot situations provoked by the actions of the British forces. The good people in these areas won’t be fooled by the attempts to portray our society and the occupying forces as normal, it is far from normal, they are seeing the same things that they seen in these areas during the 70s, 80s and 90s. Indeed, as éirígí highlighted, just a few weeks ago the British army saturated this very same area, something which the establishment parties have remained strangely silent about.

“We have also been approached by many people who are on the receiving end of harassment in the form of stop and searches. One thing we have noticed is that the PSNI are now asking the victims to remove their shoes and make them stand in the street in their socks. This is a clear attempt to degrade and humiliate people and reminds them who’s in charge.”

Murney finished by saying that: “These recent incidents are only making people more determined to resist and oppose the British police and the status quo. As usual éirígí continues to take a stand and support the oppressed communities whilst others remain silent.”

http://www.eirigi.org/latest/latest220411.html

RNU easter Commemoration-Dundalk

Newry Hungerstrike Vigil- May 5th

MacCionnaith Slams Adams Comments

éirígí general secretary Breandán MacCionnaith has slammed the comments of Sinn Féin president Gerry Adams on RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland program today[Monday]. Speaking in relation to the recent killing of a PSNI officer in Omagh, Adams claimed that éirígí had not stated their position on the action and were“running for cover” as a result.

MacCionnaith said: “This is the latest in the long line of cynical attacks by Gerry Adams and others in the Sinn Féin leadership upon éirígí. These attacks are motivated by nothing more than Sinn Féin’s fear that éirígí’s coherent socialist republican message is gaining increasing support in areas that Adams& Co regard as their personal political fiefdoms.

“éirígí’s position on the recent killing in Omagh and on other armed actions is clear and unambiguous. The party is not aligned to or supportive of any armed groups or their actions. This has been our position since our foundation five years ago, something Gerry Adams is well aware of.

“Gerry Adams is attempting to obscure this position in acts that mimic British Thatcherite ministers and the most reactionary of Twenty-Six County politicians. He is engaged in felon setting of a kind that was once used against Sinn Féin when the establishment deemed them a threat.”

MacCionnaith added: “It is hardly plausible for Mr Adams to claim that éirígí are ‘running for cover’ at a time when we are, in fact, running for election in his former constituency in West Belfast. Scores of our activists are canvassing daily on the ground in West Belfast, something Gerry Adams is also well aware of.

“And this is exactly what today’s comments were about. Incapable of dealing with éirígí’s platform against the cutbacks to public services being implemented by the Stormont coalition, the president of Sinn Féin is reduced to creating non-issues of his own imagining.

“éirígí spokespeople have consistently made themselves available for public comment on every aspect of the party’s policies and we will continue to do so.

“éirígí is on the record as offering Sinn Féin a public debate on the future direction of the republican struggle, an offer which they have, so far,declined to even respond to. If Sinn Féin is genuinely interested in engaging with republican Ireland, they will take this offer up.

“However, éirígí is more interested in and focused upon rebuilding the socialist republican struggle in west Belfast, in Dublin and across the country. Anybody who has the best interests of the working people of Ireland at heart should be doing the same.”

I Haven't Gone Away You Know

Apologies for the lack of blog posting lately. I have been exteremely busy strengthening and furthering the republican project.

I haven't Gone Away You Know !!!!