THEY are, North of Ireland minister responsible for prisons, 'a few crazy hunger strikers'.
He was referring to the seven political prisoners in the H Blocks of Long Kesh who are now in their second week of a hunger strike until death. Mr Allison's choice of words was another example of the human. tolerant attitude for which the inche govern ment is famous. Such a conto the "crazy' 'terprisoners Block.
But for the moment let's entirely accept the descriptive accuracy of Mr Allison's words. Let's examine just who the hunger strikers are.
Brendan Hughes First, there is Brendan Hughes, working class district of West prisoners point out that when governel abolished political status in 1976 it was going back on a policy adopted four years earlier giving the prisoners of Long Kesh the rights they are asking for today.
Brendan Hughes has personal experience of the effect of this policy change. His first said Michael Allison, the Tories' taste of British justice when he was arrested in 1973. Honsense like att, he way nonsense that; merely lockea up In an micrument camp along whom government didn't merit the attention of judge or jury Brendan didn't H great deal of being locked up in an internment camp so the following year he escaped.
When finally caught, he was given trial. charges against him concerned his escape. That was a nice twist of British justice: tried for escaping prisonment to which he had been committed without trial.
When convicted, became a 'special category' This meant inal ne was allowed to wear his own clothes, freely associate with SUPPORT for the demands of the hunger strikers is sweeping the north of Ireland.
On 26 October, the day before the strike began, an estimated 25,000 people demonstrated in Belfast in support of the prisoners. A further 1,000 marched in Dungiven, same day, while a similar number marched in Derry itself the following day.
In County 600 people marched in the town of Coalisland, also on 26 October.
A similar pattern week. At the weekend thousands of people took part in pickets of police and north of demonstrations and pickets were also held.
was was with hunthe decided think Sean McKenna of the other prisoners, prison work, and organise his C Callull tion.
an im- The legislation which meant that any person who committed a crime atter a certain date in May 1976 wouldn't have such rights. Two years later Brendan was attacked by prison warders.
Because this category to the H Blocks.
judged 'ordinary to the H Blocks decline and educa- Like Brendan, following year the passed TOT head, He fought back. noise Consequently he was dragged before a juryless court where he was sentenced to an additional five years in prison.
'crime' had
been committed after special status had been South abolished Brendan was sent March So, one day in 1978 Brendan Hughes was and political prisoner and imprisoned in the special category cages of Long Kesh, the next day he was deemed an criminal' and sent Then there is the case of The Sean McKenna from Newry. were widely Sean was in- those terned from 1971 to 1975.
During his initial interroga tion, Sean was made to stand tepted spreadeagled against a wall sentenced hols consecuuvey.
He had a hood put over his was denied tood or strike. sleep, and was subjected to a So continuous playing of 'white All this the British governwhen Sean's case was one of those brought before the european Court of Human Rights in 1976. This institution described the treatSean received 'inhuman and degrading'.
When Sean was released in 1975 he went to live in the On the following year he was kidnapped by armed men taken back across the he was handed over to the RUC.
Justice
armed kidnappers assumed to be upholders of British justice and fair play, the SAS.
Sean was charged with the atmurder of two members of the RUC and to years in prison. He is now on hunger too Tommy McKearney from Moy, Co including Drogheda, highly successful organised jointly by the Socialist Students Alliance and Workers Student Organisation, has just ended. Many over a hundred although in a couple of inmeetings were Preparations are now going ahead for a 48-hour fast outside Downing St this weekend, in which a number of prominent individuals have agreed to Further details of activities in Britain can be obtained by phoning the national office of the Troops Out Movement, on Socialist Challenge Castlereagh interrogation near Seven Collie days was to later pale had a black berter-us WISt bent, and tocated his inter Such Pro. duced a "Diplock courts which Strike Brendan, Sean and Tommy are just three of the seven prisoners or hunger strike;
the prisoners in the H Blocks o Long Kesh who are now 'or the blanket'. Their cases ar not exceptional.
They have been tortured kidnapped, framed, interned and tried in courts in which everything is against them Now, because they dare to protest against all this, the government says the must die 6 November 1980 Page 3
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BLOCK DEMANDS
The Block
Death Photo: Rapublican Now! Tommy McKearney