WHEN the Hughes died, the Royal Ulster Constabulary seized coffin and body from being driven through the streets of West Belfast.
seemed impossible for the forces of 'law and North of Ireland to sink lower than that. But last rridav thev managed it when the army and the RUC attacked the funeral of Joe McDonnell, the fifth political prisoner to die during the current hunger strike. Attack The RUC and the army launched their attack on the the traditional volley of shots had UCCI fired over McDonnell's coffin Ander. sonstown, West of plastic bullets and rounds of live ammunition were fired by the army as they went in pursuit of the IRA firing party.
That however was only all CAluse. i ne alm or lne exercise was to intimidate all those who, by attending the funeral, had shown their solidarity WIld hunger strikers. Innocent According to a local priest, the Kev O'Rawe, soldiers and pol.
ice fired "indiscriminately' into the crowd. The one person who was seriously Patrick Adams, was described by Sinn Fein as an 'innocent bystander' second hunger striker Frankie prevented Frankie's at the funeral.
He was shot in the back four by the army His 'crime' was that he was known by the army as the brother OI Gerry Adams, vice-president of no rend. Blunder Martin Flannery, Shetfield Labour MP, describfuneral as aclundering.
funeral 'blundering, dangerous olle He has called for an inquiry into the funeral Joe McDonnell had been servilig year sentence when he died. He had been convicted tor beIng possession OI handgun. Last week three British soldiers were also CONVICICU firearms. Arsenal They were Neville EdIvor Hirst and Holstulle Gary Rozier of the Royal Green Jackets. Somewhat surprisingly the three had seen found noi guilty of conspiring nan accused of killing the line year old cousin of Ed monston.
The were however, found guilty of was described as an 'arsenal of weapons, including two The traditional salute sub-machine ammunition, smoke grenades and But unlike Joe McDonnell the solidiers were not given a 15 years sentence.
given at the funeral of Republican volunteers. This was given to hunger striker Ray McCreesh.
Only Hirst was jailed — for a year - and that because he had a previous firearm conviction. The other two were given suspended sentences for three months.
Then, on Monday there was another outstanding example of fair play. Lens lous ands marched through carrying swords, pikes and other offensive weapons. The British Army did not intervene. The marchers were Orange Councillors against H Blocks CAROL Turner, Southwark Labour councillor. has written an open letter to the British labour movement on behalf of the Belfast 34 Defence Committee, which represents those ar rested two weeks ago at a Belfast rally against the H Blocks.
Carol says: am most alarmed that the elected representatives of the minority in Northern Ireland are denied the right to address their constituents in the city Collic... feel strongly. that it is : our responsibility the labour movement to protest against this blatant denial democratic rights...
Carol Was alone those arrested when the peacetul rally Photo: AN PHOBLACHT broken up by the RUC The court hearing has been adjourned until October. Statements of support and contributions to the legal costs will be very much welcomed Copies of the open letter are available from hallenge take to your local Labour Party and union branches. Messages of suport and donations to:
Councillor John McAnulty, Connolly Book. shop Avoca Park.
Andersonstown, Bel fast.
ing out all references to socialism!
The New York H-Block/Armagh Com. mittee was sel up ds an organstion oper to all those willing to build support for the regardless views of the struggle. , Apart from in Northern Aid tivities, it has its own packed programme of activities. In recent weeks these have included pickets of the QE2, British Airways, and Republican Party headquarters (to demand that the Reagan administra tion breaks its links with Thatcher); public meetings, and film and theatre benefits.
have traditionally tended to play a conservative role in US politics, and not so long ago O'Dwyer was comparing Britain's role in Ireland with American intervention in E Salvador. But now such links are increas ingly made. A welcome feature of this has growing identification by black people with the struggle in Ireland.
One of the most significant of recen developments has been the formation o Irish-American Labour Coalition trade union leaders representing 17 millior workers. While it is likely to organise onh token actions (such as the 24-hour boycot of British shipping by the Internationa Longshoremen's Association when Bobb Sands died), it will give campaigners or greatly increased oppor tunities of getting a hearing and organisin