Dublin March to Free Marian Price

by BrianClarkeNUJ - AllVoices Sun Sep 16, 2012 09:08

Quote from a communique on Dublin march; "Just back from the rally in Dublin...I didn't see anyone from PSF, IRSP, or RNU at the rally, at least none that I would have recognized. If anyone didn't attend this rally over party political differences they ought to be ashamed, for this campaign to release Marian Price and our internees is not political, it's humanitarian.

I don't share the same views as Marian, but I share in her plight. I'd like to take this opportunity to call on everyone, republican or otherwise to set aside their differences and unite in support of the POWs......... we need to get it together on the outside and put the pressure on them to unite. I think that this can be done if we all set aside our differences and went about building unity. We all need to see this for what it is - a humanitarian disaster.

It's time to set the squabbling, name calling and party political sectarianism aside. It's time for us to stop falling for the oldest trick in the Book of British imperialism - divide and conquer. We've had over 800 years of this. You'd think we'd have caught ourselves on by now. In 1981, we showed the world what we could do by uniting behind our hunger strikers. As one by one those young lads starved to the death, we took to the streets as one people........we are going to need to do this again, or we will never resolve the issues in Maghaberry/Hydebank, or make the Brits end internment, end the occupation, unite this country, or build the Socialist Republic so many have suffered or died for..

Unity is our only strength. We will never achieve anything without it. We all talk of a united Ireland and the Socialist Republic, but in reality, we will never unite this nation until we show that we are capable of uniting ourselves. The sooner we all realize this and do something about it, the better not just for our loved ones who are rotting in Gaol, but for ourselves too..........."

Criminalization, Intimidation, Division of Anti-Internment - PSF ?, IRSP ? or RNU ?, Dublin Rally

by JoeMcIvor Sun Sep 16, 2012 10:22

People from both the RNU and the IRSP were at the protest , Brian . I was surprised to see Clare Daly marching - fair play to her. I didn't see anybody from PSF . No surprises at that really , but who knows there could have been a few present - there was a welcome PSF member at one of the protests for Irish political prisoners outside the Amnesty offices two week ago .
If sectarianism was present yesterday , it was by default - the official left didn't have any banners there at all that I could see . One of the biggest cheers at the GPO rally went to the speaker who asked why the feminist movement had been so silent about Marian Price’s treatment . Other speakers from the platform emphasized the breach of human rights involved in the internment of a very sick 58 year old woman and urged people from all political parties and none to campaign for Marian's release.

by BrianClarkeNUJ - AllVoices Sun Sep 16, 2012 12:58

Joe a Chara,

I am sorry, the report was not entirely accurate and please accept my apologies. It was penned in good faith ! Yes I have been shocked by the lack of support from any Irish feminist group in Ireland, if there is such a group left in Ireland these days. I am also quite shocked about others that profess an interest in human rights in Ireland. I am quite certain however that if the groups mentioned in the post, were properly led and threw their whole heart into it. Marian and most of the prisoners concerned would be free in the morning.

I would like to express my respect for all those who have already walked many, many, miles already in support of Marian and the prisoners. I haven't seen Raymond Murray recently, I hope he is well. He is a man who has given much for prisoners and truly someone of honour and principle that should be a respected elder. Sadly like Sarah Clarke there does not appear to be anyone following in their footsteps and they will be sorely missed. I hope Joe that you can take up the call for unity and make it happen.

beir bua !

Dublin March Marian Price

by pat c Sun Sep 16, 2012 13:18

I saw members of Sinn Fein on the march including Dessie Ellis. There was a sizable Anarchist contintgent present and also members of the SWP.

We need to build the broadest possoble unity on this issue. That means welcoming those that get involved. Our primary aim should be to secure the release of Marian, not point scoring against political opponents.

by fred Sun Sep 16, 2012 13:25

sure, but often some of these folks are sociopaths and/or narcissists and just don't care about anything except their own political careers and the only thing that gets them to act is being publicly shamed (thus raising the possiblity of losing votes)

by pat c Sun Sep 16, 2012 13:32

Are you going to get them to join in by saying that?

The HBlock campaign had people from all parties and none involved. You don't build an organisation like that by sniping (metaphorically speaking) at your enemies. You build it by uniting around a set of demands.

by JoeMc Sun Sep 16, 2012 14:45

Here's a facebook page that's linked to on Brian's site with a short video of the march :
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=343755505714988

(The band playing The Gallant Forty Twa couldn't be accused of sectarianism, I thought !)

by prisoner supporter Sun Sep 16, 2012 20:15

there wasnt thousands, there were hundreds, i agree that there is rte state censorship
but saying there was thousands is just wrong.

400-500 maybe.
here's a link to a video of the march.

http://prisonersolidaritygroup.wordpress.com/2012/09/16...2012/

by JoeMc Mon Sep 17, 2012 12:38

That's your guestimate . Mine would be more than a thousand , under two thousand. Every time there's a dispute about figures on this site I suggest that there should be an independent body set up to monitor marches , public rallies etc. Otherwise we have to keep relying on garda/RTE figures or the on march organizers' estimates , which can be over-optimistic . A university department concerned with statistics /demographics etc could be approached perhaps?The last time I suggested this somebody said that it would be a waste of tax payers money .
.............

This Ms Paula Geraghty video of the march and GPO rally is copyright with all rights reserved , so I hope it’s o.k to post a link to it here on indymedia ireland It includes brief interviews with some of Marian's family members and messages of support from the ULA's Clare Daly and Dessie Ellis from PSF .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hM8jW71esyk

by prisoner supporter Tue Sep 18, 2012 07:45

your guestimate is the only one that is over optimistic, were you even there? no way was there 2000 or 1000, like i said there was about 400-500.

by joe mc Tue Sep 18, 2012 10:12

I didn't count the marchers, but , yes I was at it .Those who don't support a cause -people like the gardai and touts generally - tend to give a much lower figure for march turnouts. People who do support the cause involved can bump the numbers up . I think it's important to get accurate figures , which is why I made the suggestion of approaching some outside body to estimate the sizes of marches rallies etc.

by Felix Quigley - 4international Tue Sep 18, 2012 12:59

I admit I need to acquaint myself more with this issue but I do not hesitate to say against the British, Northern and Free State Governments, set Marion Price and all political prisoners free now!

by Justin Morahan Tue Sep 18, 2012 21:58

FORMAL ENQUIRY on official Website of NI Secretary of State 15 September 2012

Has the new Secretary of State received all of the correspondence between Mr Owen Paterson and myself regarding the imprisonment without trial of Ms Marian Price?

If so will you please engage with this urgent question, in view of Ms Price's state of health coupled with her imprisonment in hospital.

The correspondence has been sent by me to her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and I have received a written reply from Buckingham Palace to the effect that the Queen, though not normally engaging in such matters, has sent my letter to the NI Secretary of State so that its contents can be considered by you in assessing the case.

This reply coincided with the change of personnel in your office.

Please respond positively and release Ms Price who received a royal pardon many years ago.
The pardon was purportedly "lost" by Mr Paterson's office - a fact also made known to Queen Elizabeth II.

Thank you.

(signed: Justin Morahan)

by Diarmuid Breatnach - Personal Capacity Wed Sep 19, 2012 14:52

The Dublin Free Marian Price Committee tried to post a report on the march on Indymedia but failed a number of times -- the Indymedia collective have now been contacted to try to resolve this.

The estimate was nearly 1,000 but there is no point in getting into an argument about this.

The march was positive and a great step forward for the campaign and for progressive politics in Ireland. Most of the Irish Left was represented, including SWP, WSM and independent Irish socialists and anarchists. Most of the Irish Republican movement was represented including both sides of the GFA divide.

Three TDs were actually on the march, one of them speaking at the rally at the GPO.

by wageslave - (personal capacity) Wed Sep 19, 2012 20:37

where is the report? what was the problem??
we look forward to publishing it but for best effect you might need to do it asap!

if anyone has problems posting an article, you can always just email the report to any of the moderators complete with photos / links etc and we'll put it up.

anyone who was ever on any of the indymedia mailing lists should have access to all the email addresses of the moderators here.

rgds
wageslave

by Jacqueline Fallon Wed Sep 19, 2012 20:51

There was a great attendance at the march, but I wish more people had been there. There are many independent organisations that campaign for human rights that I thought should have been there.

It was such a ridiculous thing to be arrested for, holding a piece of paper on a windy day for a man reading out a statement at a republican Easter commemoration. Marian was arrested and charged on two occasions, the charges dismissed and she was released, only for the Owen Paterson (former British Secretary of State), to step in and revoke her licence under the GFA and order her back to prison where she has remained for one year and 5 months (with over a year spent in solitary confinement). Owen Paterson (former British Secretary of State), who has been responsible for re-introduction of internment in the six counties on his watch, has now been recalled by the British government and removed from his position as British Secretary of State. The British should learn from their past mistakes regarding introducing internment in Ireland, it causes them great damage.

Justin, thank you for letting us know about the letter you had written. A Royal Perogative of Mercy is an order used to release a prisoner on grounds of mercy and is granted by the British Monarch, but the power is delegated to the English Lord Chancellor. Its terms can be reviewed by a British court. It is extraordinary that such a rare and important legal document would go missing and not even a copy of its contents be obtained. Marian received a Royal Perogative of Mercy in 1980 as she was tortured whilst imprisoned in Britain during 1973 -1974, as whilst on hunger strike there, brutal methods were employed to force feed her, which damaged her health permanently.

Today, Marian is currently imprisoned and very ill again, suffering from pneumonia, arthritis, and depression (as a consequence of having been put solitary confinement for over a year). Marian should not be in prison at all and should be released immediately into the care of her family who can decide on where best she can be medically treated.

I believe Marian’s lawyers will make an appeal now to the European Court of Human Rights.

by Diarmuid Breatnach - Personal capacity Thu Sep 20, 2012 21:12

Hi, Wageslave -- I'm aware of the time-limitations on news but three different attempts to post it on Indymedia failed.
After the last one, I followed the procedure for contacting you but no reply yet. Your format is not an email address to which you can send emails and attachments. In the past I had been given a few email addresses but the last time I wrote to one I got no reply and eventually got a reply from another moderator. If you check on your contact system my notification of the problem should be on there. In addition I gave you my email address on that AND on the comment above but no email reply on my system (and I have checked the Junk folder too). It's on this comment too (but not for display). Hope we can resolve this soon.

by wageslave - (personal capacity) Wed Sep 26, 2012 23:18

Issue resolved!

Diarmuid's Report on the march was published by a moderator and can be viewed here:

http://www.indymedia.ie/article/102499

Thanks Diarmuid!
rgds
wageslave