Red Action Discussion Page

The Hunger strikes, Forgotten victims.

Date: 2nd May '01

Country: BELFAST

The 1980-81 hunger strikes are remembered by many for the self-sacrifice of the seven I.R.A and the three I.N.L.A volunteers who died in the H-Block, Long Kesh. Of course many other republican and republican socialist POW's also took part in the hunger strike to achieve the five just demands for political status.
We salute all those who played their part not only in the struggle to liberate Ireland but also in the prison struggle for political recognition for Irish prisoners.

During the Hunger strike period there was a massive upheaval within the nationalist working class community as it strove to highlight the plight of the Blanket men and protesting POW's in Long Kesh and Armagh prisons. Whilst initially the call for political status was led by the Relatives Action Committees which had been set up by relatives and friends of the POW's by 1979-80 such were the conditions inside Long Kesh that many Thousands of people had taken to the streets in peaceful protest, these protests were coordinated by the National H Block / Armagh Committee.
As the first noises about a possible hunger strike were begining to emerge from Long Kesh the British Government under the Iron Lady, Thatcher, still smarting from the execution by the INLA of her long-term friend and ally Airey Neave MP in the palace of Westminster in 1979, decided to unleash her dogs of war on the Irish republican communtiy.

In 1980, five members of the National H Block / Armagh committee were assassinated by the British mostlyin their own homes or place of work. They were -
Miriam Daly - IRSP / National H Block /Armagh Committee,
Cllr.John Turnley - Irish Independence Party / National H Block/ Armagh Committee.
Cllr.Larry Kennedy - Independent Community worker Councillor / National H Block/ Armagh Committee. Ronnie Bunting - IRSP / National H Block/ Armagh Committe.
Noel Little - IRSP / National H Block/ Armagh Committee.

The IRSP are calling for a full independent inquiry into these assassinations and the attemped assassination of prominent H Block campaigner Bernadette McAliskey at her home. It is our Belief that the British Security services at the direction of the highest levels of British government ordered these assassinations. If you support the call for an independent inquiry and want further information into these state killings by the British please contact the IRSP at Costello House, 392 Falls Road, Belfast. Tel 02890 321024.

Whith the deaths of the hunger strikers Britan Launched a wave of oppression against the nationalist working class, this oppression led directly to the murder of Irish nationalists. We remember with pride and sorrow those men, women and children so coldly killed by the British and their armed militias in Ireland.

Carol Anne Kelly - Aged 12 - Plastic Bullet
Julie Livingstone - Aged 14 - Plastic Bullet
Nora McCabe - Aged 30 - Plastic Bullet

We also remember those members of our community who heroically engaged the British during this period and lost their lives.

Volunteer Matt McLarnon - INLA
Volunteer Jim Power - INLA
Fian John Dempsey - Na Fianna h'Eireann.

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