Successful Protest at Alliance Office
Republicans from a number of different groups, along with other non-aligned Republicans, showed up today at a protest outside the Alliance party office on University street, Belfast. This was a show of support for the Republican prisoners and their families and friends. The Alliance party office was chosen due to the recent comments made by the new Justice Minister David Ford, on the treatment of Republican POWs in Maghaberry.
“This is the latest in a series of actions by a small number of prisoners, designed to form the impression that they are being mistreated”
He went on to say
“They seem determined to create conditions which they will then complain about, but they will have no-one to blame but themselves.”
As anyone who has been keeping up to date with the Maghaberry regime will know, Republican prisoners are being picked out for selective treatment and have been forced back into a corner. Beatings and the stripping of basic human requirements have been forced upon them and at no fault of their own. Republicans are well used to this type of treatment from another arm of the British occupation and they can only respond with the limited options available to them.
No members of the Alliance party were in the office at the time, as they had evacuated the building in anticipation of the planned protest. However a letter was left into the office mail box by Lillian Fitzsimmons, the sister of Harry Fitzsimmons a prisoner currently feeling the full force of the vicious campaign. A response is awaited.
We would like to encourage all Republicans concerned with the treatment of POW’s to attend another protest on Sunday May 16th at 4pm outside the Maghabery Gaol organised by Concerned Families and Friends of Maghaberry POWs.
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement would like to thank the organisers for inviting the 32CSM and congratulate them on such a successful protest, with over 80 people attending despite short notice.
Belfast 32CSM
