THE ALBANY prison protest is over. But the grievances behind the root top occupation are still there. At the root of the protest lies the scandalous way that the Irish political prisoners are treated in HM prisons.
The four IRA soldiers who waved a banner from Albany's roof demanded the right of repatriation to Ireland. Like another 70 of their colleagues they are forced to spend their long sentences in England.
This process inflicts a savage hardship on the prisoners as they are often switched from one jail to another to prevent them from escaping — or so claims a spiteful Home Office.
This 'ghosting' system has meant that on a number of occasions relatives have made the long and expensive journey from Ireland only to find the person they have gone to see has been moved. In other cases relatives have not even been allowed into Britain to see the inmate as the authorities have used the Prevention of Terrorism Act to stop them landing.
In contrast the thugs of the British security forces who have been convicted of crimes in the North of Ireland are immediately whisked back to Britain. Even Loyalists sentenced in Scotland have been allowed back to the province, in order to protect them from other prisoners.
The home unlice nothing to say about the threats made to IRA prisoners by prison officers or about the way these officers persecute and victimise the prisoners.
However, the should have a different attitude demanding that Britain cedes the right of every prisoner to serve their sentence in Ireland.
It would help to wipe Labour's name put there by British politicians like Roy Mason who 'criminalised' the struggles of the nationalist population. and Mr Whitelaw have Call Irish away the stain on mament was an women in over 600 towns and cities throughout Britain and numerous large scale action in other coun'nuclear' election. Yet the media ignored it.
We took into account the problems that decentralised action might pose the press, so; • a press reicase was seni out a week before in many Cases accompanice phone call personal visits were made IO each key press centre to update them the day before • on the day itself a communications room was set up in an office of the New Statesman where details of action throughout the were phoned or telexed in • cach press conlact was phoned during the day to check thev had sutticien and accurate information • finally on the day itself held to catch the first edis was tions.
Yet out of seven daily papers only the Guardian Times spared any words for details of the international action. Despite the potential TOI eyecatching photos only the printed pictures Guardian coll preindedismad reporting dismal reporting through referring to me throughout as the 'spokesman for the women'!
The TV radio coverage was worse. ITV carried no report whatsoever of an event whic had touched millions of event involving thousands It was halfway through the campaign for the at the Clapham Common Peace Camp Then to our horror they Olga Maitland (Ladies/Families elence, InLO une studio to presumably in the name of balance'. I can't recall us being asked to comment on Lady Olga's mass rally * of 100 in Trafalgar Square which received such wide Luvare Only the BBC Nine O'Clock News managed to have coverage of events outside the capital.
Yet the day was tremendous success. The action in Britain which involved "dicind blockaru fidence trick defence was exposed.
Internationally action took place in eight cities in the USA. In New Zealand there were 20 or so actions including 1000 Wellington an astonishing 20,000 Eight seperate actions ROAC Independent Enquiry Colin Roach's father protests against the circumstances of his son's death