IRSN Statement in Support of the Interned IRSM Members
5 March 2008
The comrades of the International Republican Socialist Network again denounce the arrest and detention of five republican socialist activists by the Irish Free State and pledge to do everything in our power to provide support to these comrades.
Ten years since the Good Friday Agreement, ten years since the INLA cease-fire and the Free State continues to harass and arrest republican socialist activists; continues to rely on the charge of 'membership in a proscribed organisation'; continues to use Diplock courts; continues to torture and physically abuse republican socialist prisoners; continues to keep these activists incarcerated.
This reality exposes the lie of the Good Friday Agreement. This reality confronts republican socialists with the question, what did the INLA cease-fire accomplish and why does it continue?
What has been won? We know what has been lost--the hope of youth in the nationalist community, the ackowledgement that the six counties are Irish in the Free State constitution--but what has been won? 92 years after Connolly led the ICA into the streets of Dublin to fight for a socialist republic, Irish workers have no socialist republic. 210 years since the United Irishmen rose in rebellion to win a 32-county Irish republic, no such republic exists. The partition of Ireland, which serves to divide
the working class of Ireland, remains. The nationalist community of the six counties is not free from loyalist violence, or unionist oppression, or British occupation.
We often hear that the six counties have gained peace. Go take a walk in a cemetery; you'll find no more peaceful place on the planet. Is that what has been won, after a quarter of a century of armed struggle--the peace of the grave?
The Free State and their imperialist masters would have republican socialists accept the peace of the grave as their reward and have them lie down in it. However, there can never be peace, when there is no justice. There will never be peace, where there is oppression and exploitation. The Irish capitalists and foreign imperialists seek pacification of the discontented, but offer no contentment, so there will be no peace.
Violence is a terrible thing, but there are things much worse. Accepting injustice is a far worse thing. Accepting deprivation of the masses is a much worse thing. Accepting inequality and exploitation is a far worse thing.
We in the IRSN again call for the immediate release of the Cork five and for all charges to be dropped. We send greetings of solidarity to those republican socialist activists who have been arrested and incarcerated. You are our comrades and we will always stand beside you in times of difficulty.
Peter Urban
Comrade, International Republican Socialist Network
The comrades of the International Republican Socialist Network again denounce the arrest and detention of five republican socialist activists by the Irish Free State and pledge to do everything in our power to provide support to these comrades.
Ten years since the Good Friday Agreement, ten years since the INLA cease-fire and the Free State continues to harass and arrest republican socialist activists; continues to rely on the charge of 'membership in a proscribed organisation'; continues to use Diplock courts; continues to torture and physically abuse republican socialist prisoners; continues to keep these activists incarcerated.
This reality exposes the lie of the Good Friday Agreement. This reality confronts republican socialists with the question, what did the INLA cease-fire accomplish and why does it continue?
What has been won? We know what has been lost--the hope of youth in the nationalist community, the ackowledgement that the six counties are Irish in the Free State constitution--but what has been won? 92 years after Connolly led the ICA into the streets of Dublin to fight for a socialist republic, Irish workers have no socialist republic. 210 years since the United Irishmen rose in rebellion to win a 32-county Irish republic, no such republic exists. The partition of Ireland, which serves to divide
the working class of Ireland, remains. The nationalist community of the six counties is not free from loyalist violence, or unionist oppression, or British occupation.
We often hear that the six counties have gained peace. Go take a walk in a cemetery; you'll find no more peaceful place on the planet. Is that what has been won, after a quarter of a century of armed struggle--the peace of the grave?
The Free State and their imperialist masters would have republican socialists accept the peace of the grave as their reward and have them lie down in it. However, there can never be peace, when there is no justice. There will never be peace, where there is oppression and exploitation. The Irish capitalists and foreign imperialists seek pacification of the discontented, but offer no contentment, so there will be no peace.
Violence is a terrible thing, but there are things much worse. Accepting injustice is a far worse thing. Accepting deprivation of the masses is a much worse thing. Accepting inequality and exploitation is a far worse thing.
We in the IRSN again call for the immediate release of the Cork five and for all charges to be dropped. We send greetings of solidarity to those republican socialist activists who have been arrested and incarcerated. You are our comrades and we will always stand beside you in times of difficulty.
Peter Urban
Comrade, International Republican Socialist Network