Maghaberry jail is where Irish Republican prisoners in the Six Counties who did not agree with the Good Friday Agreement remained while the Provisions walked out under the terms of the Agreement. Subsequently their numbers have been swelled by others also opposed to the GFA. Although the British and the Northern Ireland Executive's Justice Minister deny they are political prisoners, they call them "Separate" because they are separated from non-political prisoners within the jail. After broken agreements, ongoing harassment and violent and physically intrusive body searches, the prisoners now escalate their protest campaign.

Related Links:
The August agreement | RNU about prisoners in Maghaberry | Justice Minister defends body searches | Statement Maghaberry CIRA prisoners | United solidarity protest outside Maghaberry Jail 5th June 2011 (with Pól Mac Adam singing “Back Home in Derry”, lyrics written by Bobby Sands | “When I Get Out”, track from Ciaran Murphy’s CD “When We Take Control“ |

In letters to Joe Costello TD and Bethany Home Survivors Chairperson, Derek Leinster (attached), Ruairi Quinn TD, Minister for Education, turned down the survivors' request to have the Home included in the Schedule to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme.

They met the Minister on 24 May last, accompanied by other survivors from the home, and by Niall Meehan from Griffith College Dublin. Inclusion is necessary in order for survivors to apply for compensation for the neglect they suffered in the home that the state was aware of but ignored.

Related Links:
Further Information (Indymedia):
New Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin speaks on Bethany Home Bethany Home Children’s Graves discovered Former residents call for memorial - Wednesday 26th May, 12 noon, at MOUNT JEROME Cemetery From Wicklow to Wakefield - a victim of Protestant prejudice and state neglect. Derek Leinster survived to become a trade union convener, a father and a grandfather
Quinn rejects Bethany survivors' redress call Death every 3 weeks at Bethany Home - research Bethany survivors demand redress inclusion
Further information (RTE):
Quinn rejects Bethany survivors' redress call | Death every 3 weeks at Bethany Home - research | Bethany survivors demand redress inclusion

Child deaths soared after Bethany Home was supposed to be 'inspected' by the Department of Local Government and Public Health 0.69 Mb Deputy Chief Medical Adviser, a state official, reveals state prejudice, ignores neglect and death 0.1 Mb Deputy Chief Medical Adviser stops Bethany admitting Roman Catholics - hopes that will make the negative publicity problem about sickness and death go away 0.58 Mb Department inspector wants Bethany nurse mother prosecuted - Deputy Chief Medical Adviser exonerates her, says child was 'delicate' and needed 'country air' 0.26 Mb

It is reasonable, considering the many high profile members of the elite involved in the project, to expect a blizzard of media attention for the 'We The Citizens' initiative to accompany their showpiece Citizen's Assembly taking place on June the 25th and 26th in the Royal Hospital Kilmainham.

It is quite unbelievable that the bona-fides of those involved, and the methodologies being utilized by the initiative to select a representative group of people for their 'citizen's assembly', have been subject to no public scrutiny whatsoever to date. This is especially so when you consider the fact that so much money is being poured into it.

Hugh Green, in a timely article which is excerpted below, subjects what he refers to as 'Weed the Citizens' to a searching critique. His piece, which looks coldly at the track record of some of the elite team behind the initiative, includes a translation of a report on recent events in Spain which feels (from an Irish standpoint) like a broadcast from an alternative universe. In that universe citizens organize themselves within structures created from the ground up and without help from billionaires and politically connected elite insiders.

The brief and extremely vague overview of the methodology used by 'We the Citizens' for selecting participants makes it apparent that those with the benefit of a good education and the attendant confidence to participate would be favoured by this approach. These are not the kinds of people most likely to be hit hard by the actions of the ECB/IMF financial dictatorship presently running the country.

Related Links
Real Democracy Now! Ireland (Facebook Page)
We the Citizens

As Elizabeth Windsor's visit moves into history it is time to analyse the reasons for the visit and what happened during it: the small protests, the massive restrictions on movement in Ireland's capital city, the huge violations of the right to protest,

Related Links: Protests Greet the British Queen in Cork – Report & Photo Essay | Republican Response to English queen | Citizen's Rights Suspended Because of Queen's Visit | AUDIOLINK-"Opposing theBritish Queen's Visit to Ireland"- Radio Interview with 4 Anti-War Activists | Lockdown for Queen's Visit | James Connolly, Monarchy & Labour Party Hypocrisy

Queen greets crowds in Cork 0.13 Mb

You have to be in the matrix to believe 'Yes we can'

The country yesterday was abuzz with the visit of Obama to Ireland and the mainstream was aglow covering the event. There is no doubt he is popular in Ireland as evidenced by the tens of thousands who queued up and turned out to see him and went through airport type security to get a closer look. I would suppose there are two reasons for this and one is that everyone wants to be seen and associated with success and the other is that Irish people seem to get very proud of their country and want to show it off when important people or visitors in general show up.

Related Links: OBAMA - The Emperor has no clothes, his wars have no end! | Obama: A Presidency of Hope or Failure? External Links: Obama's Private Killing Machine Sibel Edmonds Bin Laden Death Script & the Needed Trigger for Next Step-Pakistan | Assassination Nation: Are there any limits on President Obama's license to kill? | Economy Obama’s Bushism | Mr. Obama’s Most Recent “2%” Sellout is his Worst Yet | Peak Oil OilDrum website The Speech Obama Need(ed) to Give | Still Obama says nothing After peak oil, are we heading towards social collapse?

Large turnout to see Obama in College Green 0.12 Mb Irish people like the blue pill! :-) 0.03 Mb