Supporters of strikers mobilised by the thousands The 53-day hunger strike by Hbiggest victories yet by anti-imperialist forces in Northern Ireland. By the time it ended, it had centred world attention on the struggle of the Irish people for self. determination and the Tory government's brutal suppression of humar. rights.
It had, moreover, begun to spark off a massive upsurge among the Irish people with demonstrations and protest actions sweeping every part of Ireland, from Belfast to Dublin lies of the British press - in forcing the Tory government to back down and concede the demands of the prisoners. The statement made by Humphrey Atkins (Secretary for Northern Ireland) granted all the prisoners demands.
DEMANDS The fundamental issue of the prison protest was the attempt by the Tories to force prisoners to wear cedes every demand. convict uniforms. Convicted on forced "confessions" by jury-less courts, the prisoners protested their treatment as common criminals.
Because of their protest, they were forced to live naked in their cells. Block prisoners has led to one of the They were put in punishment wings (H-Blocks) and subjected to inhuman treatment and constant harassment.
The prisoners' decision (two months ago) to launch a hunger st. te was a desperate attempt to pruiesi inis incumali treatmeni dished out to men whose only crime was fighting to free their country of brutal oppression.
* the right to wear their own Cornes.
* the right to refrain from prison work;
* the right to free association Finally, it succeeded - despite the among political prisoners;
* the right to organise their own educational/recreational facilities;
* the right to full remission of sentences (i.e. time off for good behaviour).
CONCESSIONS Although the government has insisted it made no concessions to the prisoners, Atkins' statement - read out on December 17 - clearly conThe statement declares: "Within a few days, clothing provided by their families will be given to any prisoner giving up their protest so that they can wear it during recreation, assoing and educational training".
will be of special importance to the prisoners' families - provision already exists for lost remission to be restored after subsequent good behaviour".
PROTEST hard to fathom. rage of lies put out by the British press, the Tories brutal policy in Northern Ireland was receiving international condemnation. Messages of solidarity with the hunger strikers were coming from sources movement and US senators.
Even more worrying, from the Tory government's point of view however, was the mass movement that was developing in Ireland against their inhuman treatment. The campaign that was developing represented a resumption of the mass movement that had begun 10 They demanded: years ago with the civil rights marches of 1968-69.
MASS ACTION the fast, mass demonstrations and mobilisations in Northern Ireland began to overspill into the South where - on December 6 for example - an angry crowd of 40,000 marched on the British Embassy.
against Tory policy began to find roots in the trade union movement. On December 10, workers went on strike throughout the country. In Catholic West Belfast, all major businesses halted The size of the protest building up clearly terrified the Thatcher
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