NEWS FROM SAOIRSE (freedom). The Voice of the Irish Republican Movement. Republican Sinn Féin http://rsf.ie 223 Parnell Street, Dublin 1 229 Falls Road, Belfast

AN attempt by the British to re-introduce new prison uniforms for Republicans in Six County jails will be resisted by the political prisoners, Gerald Crilly,  Republican Sinn Féin Ard Chomhairle member from Meigh, South Armagh said when he delivered the oration at a Republican Sinn Féin commemoration in Kerry.

During his oration he said that today true Republicans are being harassed and he called on people to stand up to State intimidation and expose the activities of the police.

He told the gathering that today the plight of the political prisoners must be uppermost and he instanced the imprisonment of Joe Lynch of Limerick under draconian bail conditions and the transfer of Tommy Crossan to Magilligan Jail away from his family.

“Our belief is that Tommy Crossan could be also be used as a barometer to measure the Republican resistance to the introduction of new prison uniforms — the British want to introduce these new uniforms but we know Republicans will never bend to the will of the British,” he said.

“It is now becoming obvious that the Stormont Agreement has failed and we in South Armagh see an increased British army and police presence, while they took away one watch tower, they built up the rest,” he said. “There are more troops on the ground every day, people are getting stopped and harassed and these are people who are not Republicans — that is the reality in South Armagh. That is what the Good Friday Agreement has brought to us.”

The event began with a march from the Carmody Memorial Hall led by a colour party and a unit of Na Fianna to the scene at Raheen outside Ballylongford where the unarmed Eddie Carmody was gunned down by Crown forces.

Local Republican Sinn Féin  spokesperson John O'Shea said that he was pleased with the large turnout and the Provos left the area quickly because they were totally outnumbered.

John O'Shea also said that the Provos should have the decency to stay away from the upcoming Charlie Kerins commemoration in Tralee December 6.

“My message to them is to stay away from that commemoration because they have accepted Leinster House and very shortly they will be on the Police Board in the Six Counties,” he said.

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Web layout by SAOIRSE -- Irish Freedom December 7, 2002  Send links, events notifications, articles, comments etc, to the editor at: saoirse@iol.ie.