Prison staff names painted on Derry wall accusing Maghaberry of being human rights abusers

Threats were also daubed on walls

NAMES of what are believed to be prison officers have been painted on a wall in Derry.

It has been claimed the names along with a sniper’s crosshairs appeared close to Creggan shops earlier this week.

The words “We only have to be lucky once” and the letters ‘IRA’ were also painted on a nearby wall in the republican area, while the words ‘Maghaberry human rights abusers’ were also daubed on another wall.

Sources claim the names of the same group of prison officers were put on walls in the Creggan area last month but were later removed.

When the Irish News visited the area last night it appeared that graffiti had been freshly painted over.

PSNI Chief Inspector Alan Hutton said: “Police in Derry/Londonderry are aware of graffiti that appeared in the Creggan area of the city yesterday, Tuesday 9th January, including on a wall close to shops in the Central Drive area of Creggan and on a wall in Ramore Gardens in Ballymagowan.

“Enquiries are ongoing.

“Police were present this morning, at the request of the Department of Justice, when a private contractor was brought in to remove the graffiti.”

It is believed the prison officers identified are based at the high-security Maghaberry jail.

Tensions between staff and republican inmates at the Co Antrim prison have been high in recent years.

Two prison officers have also been killed by the organisation known as the ‘IRA’, which is sometimes referred to as the New IRA.

Prison Officers Association chairman Ivor Dunne last night condemned the graffiti.

He said the previous graffiti identifying prison officers was “extremely distressing” for those named.

“It is very serious whenever staff have been singled out,” he said.

“Staff are carrying out their job with impartiality and with dignity.”

Mr Dunne also said such incidents have “ramifications on people’s families and home life” and he wanted to reiterate “how despicable an action this is, for young staff to put on the uniform and are underpaid for the job they do and people seem to forget that”.

In November 2012 David Black was shot dead as he made his way to work at Maghaberry Prison along the M1 motorway.

Adrian Ismay, who worked as a tutor in the Prison Service College, also died 11 days after a bomb exploded under his van in east Belfast in March 2016.

During the Troubles prison staff were also regularly targeted, with the vast majority of attacks being carried out by republicans.

Meanwhile, sectarian graffiti scrawled on a factory wall in west Belfast has been removed.

The slogan ‘FG’s loyalist not welcome’ appeared on the wall of the Caterpillar plant, a former FG Wilson base, close to the Springfield Road on Monday.

Trade unions and politicians had condemned the incident.

With many thanks to: The Irish News for the origional story

Easter Celebrations 2017

With many thanks to: Daniel Kelly.

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http:// http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34733832

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Maghaberry Prison - End British Internment & Mistreatment of Republican Prisoners.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34732998

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-34728798

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https://madden-finucane.com/2015/11/04/stop-search-cases-update-justice-restored-for-conal-corbett/

Picket in support of the 5th Annual International POW Day, which was held in the Bullring on the 24th of October. This statement was read out at the picket;

End the Maghberry torture

Comrades, we are gathered here today to pay homage to our brave volunteers and to highlight the plight that they are currently facing as they languish in captivity. It is important to send not only our Solidarity, but also to show our defiance of British rule and continue to progress towards the United Ireland we need.

Comrades of RSF picketing at the Bullring in Wexford, on the 5th Annual International POW Day.

https://m.facebook.com/home.php#!/RepublicanSinnFeinWexford/photos/a.521072591308883.1073741825.412177065531770/903915233024615/?type=3

Comrades of RSF James Connolly Cumann in Australia on International POW Day.

International Prisoner of War Day of Action

Comrades in Gaza showing there Solidarity

Comrades in Solidarity also in London, England.

With many thanks to: Republican Sinn Féin Wexford:
http:// https://m.facebook.com/RepublicanSinnFeinWexford/photos/a.521072591308883.1073741825.412177065531770/903915233024615/?type=3#!/RepublicanSinnFeinWexford/

Figures confirm scale of PSNI harassment – Irish Republican News – Sat, Aug 29, 2015

http://republican-news.org/current/news/2015/08/figures_confirm_scale_of_psni_.html#.VeMkhaNw2ih

Statement – Republican Prisoners Encourage Support For Anti-Internment March | IRPWA

http://irpwa.com/statement-republican-prisoners-encourage-support-for-anti-internment-march/

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STATEMENT FROM THE REPUBLICAN WING ROE HOUSE 08.12.2014

Common Sense Replaced with Belligerence

Republican Political Prisoners wish to set out clearly our position on the Stocktake recently undertaken and released by David Ford, pictured above, (the Justice Minister’s) so-called Independent Assessment Team.

The stocktake was a unique opportunity to re-engage the implemention process of the August 2010 Agreement, and to deal with the unacceptable isolation of Republican Political Prisoners. Although willing to give the Stocktake a “fair wind”, we remained sceptical. We have at all times acted in good faith. Unfortunately our initial scepticism has, once again, proven well founded.

Like the August 2010 Agreement before it, the Stocktake has been immediately attacked and subverted by the DUP, in coalition with a loyalist cabal within the jail staff, which maintains a stranglehold on jail policy. The Stocktake is being used as a means to rewrite the August 2010 Agreement and supplement its core tenets. A result of this has been overt attacks by bigoted fundamentalists on our daily regime within the jail confines. A cursory read over Hansard: Justice Committee reports in Stormont on Tuesday November 18 provides clear evidence of this. No amount of revisionism will change the well documented facts, and timeline of events, of how the 2010 Agreement was deliberately sabotaged, long before David Black was executed by the IRA or a “dirty protest” was commenced. Republican Political Prisoners are not afraid of the facts. We have them chronicled in abundance. (www.irpwa.com)

It is our view that the “elephant in the room” can no longer be shied away from: We are not “ordinary prisoners”, we are Political Prisoners and therefore will not accept being treated as anything else. The schizophrenic dealings with us, where all “privately” accept what we are, on one hand, but then try to enforce a criminal regime, has only helped stoke the bigoted fire of the DUP.

David ford the so-called Justice Minister, the NIO and the constitutional nationalist parties in Stormont have given the DUP carte blanche to thwart progress. Where else would such a biased political party hold sway over such processes within a jail? The Stocktake itself is now based on the notion of Republican Political Prisoners “behaving” before inadequate, piecemeal changes can be made. In effect, the outworking of this has been the regression of our already limited regime. It is not us who need to “behave”. We will always behave exactly like Political Prisoners because that is what we are. Let us be clear; all of the conflict surrounding this situation is based on several core issues which were identified and could have been remedied in 2010. Instead, the isolation of Republican Political Prisoners has been added, and the opportunity to get back on track has been squandered.

Republican Political Prisoners are committed to the August 2010 Agreement. We have been relentless in our pursuit of a Conflict-Free Environment. But, a Conflict-Free Environment will only be achieved when those with the power are prepared to stand up to the bully-boy tactics of the DUP and their loyalist fifth column within the jail. The DUP and their loyalist cohorts within the jail staff are deliberately provoking a situation in which conflict is inevitable. The blame for this should be laid directly where it belongs. We will be as clear and unambiguous as possible; Republian Political Prisoners and our supporters are well prepared for the struggle ahead.

Republican Political Prisoners, Roe House, Maghaberry 8 – 12 – 2014.

 

STATEMENT FROM ROE 4 REPUBLICAN PRISONERS

Deja vu

“After the surrender, no arrangements for decent custody… led to conditions which left a memory as bitter as that enkindled by executions… In the rotunda gardens… men gnashed their teeth at the shame to which both sexes were exposed” (TM Healy, Letters and leaders of my day, Voloume ii, p.561)

The above quote relates to the immediate aftermath of Eiri amach na Casca. There is somthing in the British psyche that craves not only the capture, but the degradation of those who refuse to submit to its will. Taking a Rebel prisoner is never enough, being captor will not suffice.

Twenty-four hours after the signing of the August 2010 Agreement serious matters arose. “Staff” immediately approached Republican Political Prisoners to ask what the Agreement entailed as they had not been briefed by the Jail Management. This was the first fundamental “mistake” that would allow bigots to renege upon and ultimately undermine the Agreement.

On 12 Novemer 2014, David Ford, the Justice Minister for the North of Ireland, announced to end the Strip Searching of Republican Prisoners being released from Maghaberry Gaol; going on home leave and, the end of “automatic” strip-searching for external hospital appointments. Less than 24 hours later a riot squad was ordered to forcibly strip a Republican Prisoner en route to, and upon return from, an external hospital appointment.

The Republican Prisoner, aware of David Ford’s directive and “stock-take”, articulated opposition to being strip-searched on these grounds. The response of the Maghaberry Governors (David Savage and Brian Armor) was a feign ignorance and state that he would be forcibly strip-searched regardless. The strip-search ensued. A large group of highly aggressive Riot Squad personnel entered the small room where a Republican Prisoner, awaiting hospital treatment, stood alone to face them. This was repeated on his return, even though he had been hand-cuffed, with prison guards present throughout. The aggression these men bring into that room is not merely the product of their Riot Squad training, it is sadism derived from blind sectarian hatred. This regime’s sustenance is a gratuitous and pervasive violence that is extracted from inflicting indignity upon Republican Political Prisoners in Roe House.

The era whereby Republicans “gnashed their teeth” at the indignities to which we are exposed ended a long time ago. The Administation’s failure to implement the August 2010 Agreement could not impact upon the ability or resolve of Republican Political Prisoners to face down the Pro Unionst, bigoted regime. Neither will a refusal to implement recent directives achieve anything other than a renewed conflict-fuelled enviorment.

Republican Political Prisoners Roe 4, Maghaberry 24-11-14

With many thanks to: IRPWA