In 1975 the Labour nounced that special category status was to end the following year; that all those convicted of terrorist, or as the prisoners would argue offences, were from 1 March to be treated as ordinary criminals. That a sider on 29 February brick al a soldier would, if convicted, be category stalus. thrown on the following day would be judged an 'ordinary criminal'.
The reasons for the change in policy need not be outlined here. Sufficient to say that the new rules were part of an overall shift in government policy which sought to de-politicise the Irish question.
The aim was to suggest that the only 'problem' Northern 'gunmen and terrorists'; that Britain had no political responsibility but to defeat those terrorists; were not engaged in politically motivated acts but were mere criminals and ought to be treated as such.
This period co-incided with the ending by the British government of any attempt to negotiate a political solution, with all Socialist Challenge 23 October 1980 government anproblem political, category who threw a 1976 grantea special but if the brick were she or he was phrase? that the same people the various contending parties.
What the government was attempting to say that the 'terrorists' were an Irish rather than a symptom. to maintain that the former crimes were in fact 'ordinary" crimes, the argument had to be sustained all along the line.
opposite was and remains case. Throughout the 1970s special laws were passed by the British suspected 'political' offenders differently from those who normally come under the scrutiny of the legal system.
The most notable legislation was contained in the Emergency Provisions Act (1973 and updated in 1978) and the Prevention of Terrorism Act (1974 and 1976).
The Emergency Provisions specifically designed for what it termed "terrorist offences'. What is meant by this The PTA gives the the answer, defining "terrorism' as 'violence for political ends'. Thus even the government's own legislation agrees that the 'terrorists' are involved in 'political' offences.
The details of the EPA and the PTA further emphasise this fact. Under the EPA a But special criminal cases.
the government 'terrorist or Act was
WHEN, on 1 March 1976, the government arbitrarily changed rules by abolishing the speciat category status for political prisoners, many of those who were subject to the new rules refused to accept the change.
The first was Ciaran Nugent: When he arrived at Long Kesh (Maze) Prison he refused to wear the prison uniform offered to him. Nugent had been sentenced for hijacking a van, and he vowed 'that they would have to nail the clothes to my back' if any attempt were made criminalise him.
By 1 August 1978 over three hundred prisoners had joined Nugent in his protest. Here is how Cardinal Tomas O Fiaich, the primate of Ireland, described the conditions in which the prisoners survived H-shaped compounds of Long Kesh:
'Having spent the whole of Sunday • In the prison I was shocked by the inhuman conditions prevailing in H Block 3, 4, and 5, where over 300 prisoners are incarcerated. would hardly allow an animal to remain in such conditions, alone a human being.
The nearest approach tợ it I have seen was the spectacle of hundreds of homeless people living in the slums of Calcutta. The stench and filth in some of the cells, with the remains of rotten food and human excreta scattered around the walls, was 3. Are their conditions the Cardinal O'Fiaich cells for almost the whole of every day and some of them have been in this condition for more than a year and a half. "The fact that a man refuses to wear prison uniform or do prison work should not entail the loss of physical exercise, association his prisoners, or contact with the outside world. These are basic human needs for physical and mentar nealn, not privueges to be granted withheld rewards or punishments. the 'The human dignity every must respected regardless creed, colour or political viewpoint, and regardless of what crimes he has been charged 'Several prisoners plained to me of beatings, of verbal let punishments for making complaints, and of degrading searches carried out on the most in. timate parts of their strikers What happened was that in 1978 the troduced a new rule whereby the prisoners WELC from going to the toilet unless they wore a prison uniform.
Then, WELC introduced, orderlies were given the work of emptying the toilet vessels the prisoners were now forced Lo usC The orderlies began to deliberately topple over the cells. Faced with such provocation, the usules withdrew former previous cooperation.
Finally aspect of the H Block regime which no one self-inflicted: the beatings suffered by the prisoners.
It is true that the evidence of these beatings comes from the prisoners themselves, but such is bound to be the case in view of the refusal of the authorities to allow a regular inspection of the H Blocks.
fellow Beaten Here is just one of the many stories that are told by as of the H Blocks in September 1979:
of 'One man at a time was be taken from of his warders ran him from the B to the circle (the ministration Block). Each man was pulled about by the beard and hair and com- then a thorough search made of This mouth and ears using a flash additional tame victim was then ore cibly spreadeagled naked ground, and beaten Al Cycled once these new rules Loyalist do officials to the pots stop dole claims.
Block The their we come to the one could argue is It was smuggled out a cell and the adover placed on the by week JIM Robertson, a member Birmetal disputes committee in Birmingham, sacked summed up the discontent felt by many of those who Friday marched the through the city in support of the Birmetal workers: day.
'I think what we have to force our district fight the others question of job loss and picket pissing about march was the that something new had ported by members of the four unions involved in the dispute - TGWU, GMWU, EEPTU and AUEW which is now in its 28th and involves the sacking of 700 workers But instead of fighting for the right to work, union officials have tended concentrate on getting the workers ployment benefits. this dole question which is purpose of Was. pay, 2p acted for this Frioutside the Birmetal factory.
Jim Robertson and feel the would be better employed asking for sup port from other workers in Birmetal Qualcast WOMEN at the 1978 socialist feminist conference — many left confident been established parent company in the fight to save jobs The support for such an emphasis evident at last Friday's meeting when the speaker who received the biggest applause was . the occused Gard ner's factory in Man chester.
After weeks the union officials have proved that they are unwilling to give similar lead Birmetal. Workers there will need to organise themSelves They will also have to oroanise support other workers in Birmetal Qualcast. slogan shouted on the march put It today, you tomorrow.'
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nger 'self-inflicted'?
Birmetal dispute in 28th week