Put Criminals in chain gangs for hard labour - Inish Times article

Cllr Paul Canning, Fianna Fáil

In bold headings the Inish Times, Buncrana, Co Donegal, printed an article on January 24, 2017, entitled ' Put criminals in chain gangs for hard labour'.  The reporter attributed this rather draconian statement to a County Donegal, Fianna F…áil Councillor,  Mr Paul Canning,  and describes it as a 'Controversial proposal'.

Unfortunately the article does not elaborate on what it termed'controversial'.  It does not say where and when the statement was given, whether in private or as part of some meeting, such as the Donegal Joint Policing Committee (JLC). 

If it was the DJC, it begs the question what are members discussing becauseit was reported recently that a Sinn Féin member of DJC was called for the return of 'The Birch'.  It seems if some had their way we would be policed, beaten and working on chain gangs.  No pussyfooting there it seems.

Whether it was said in private or in a meeting, the fact is that anyone should realise that such archaic visibletreatment of a human would be hard to legislate in supposedly and enlightened society.  Could such an open call for vile degrading treatment be regarded as 'incitement to violence'?   Perhaps! Could those involved, by not speaking out, be aiding and abetting?   Perhaps!   Could the newspaper, by not elaborating on 'controversy' be just a culpable in spreading propaganda?  Perhaps!

Imagine how so called 'Republican' forget Irish history, past and present, that of oppression, internment, torture and chains and ?  Imagine how one can forget 'innocent until proven guilty' or 'miscarriages of justice'?

Perhaps it might be more appropriate to think about the conditions that lead to someone committing crimes in the first place such asinequality, deprivation, lack of esteem and oppression.  Maybe such a call issymptomatic or themodern phenomenon of 'Trumpism',  giving one the right call for repressive measures.   However, far from protecting anybody or preventing further crime, such treatment does not prevent but merely perpetuates.

Is it not ironical for a Fianna Fáil member to abdicate responsibility in light of his own Party's role in the state the country at present,  the austerity and lack of hope that people have been lead into?

Is it not hypocritical and shameful of all involved whether directly or indirectly, to publicly demand 'chain gangs' and 'hard labour' especially when Inishowen is called 'Amazing Grace County'

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Irish State's political case against Jobstown Protesters restarts with jury selection Jan 26 2017

On Jan 26 2017 the Prosecution will outline their position on who should be excluded from jury selection this April.

According to the campaign's facebook page 'Jobstown Not Guilty. Who Judges?'  it states"In the Seanie Fitz case we saw the exclusion of'Juror 791'  because she was an anti- austerity campaigner, an attempt to create a jury of the 1% for the 1%.  The Jobstown judge has already noted the divide in society over this case.  With 73% of people boycotting the last water bill it is clear that there could be a serious attempt by the state to undermine the jury selection process or to further try and isolate the accused group.

With one of us already found guilty of false imprisonment a precedent has been set.  We need your help to build a major campaign of public information and protest between now and April to help us win the public debate against the media and the political establishment.

Paul Murphy TD

Paul Murphy TD AAA, says"please come to support us on Thursday. All the indications are that the prosecution are going to try to rig the jury in such a way to exclude people more likely to be against water charges!  Don't let them get away with it.  Join the protest at the courts at 9.30am."

If you want to be part of the campaign to prevent another miscarriage of justice message us on Facebook or sign up here https://sites.google.com/view/jobstownnotguilty/join-the-campaign?authuser=0

 

More on Jobstown case: http://buncranatogether.com/home/2017/1/20/protesting-is-not-a-crime-jobstown-protesters-courtcase-looming

Bloody Sunday March For Justice January 29 2017

Event Details

 

Bloody Sunday was inflicted on the people of Derry.  But it has resonated around the world.  It is a local issue relevant to people everywhere.

Over the 45 years since British paratroopers erupted into the working-class Bogside area with rifles spitting death at civil rights marchers, representatives of victims of State violence from both sides of the Atlantic, from Africa, the Middle East and elsewhere, have travelled to Derry to take part in the annual commemoration and give substance to the idea of 'One World, One Struggle'. 

The British Government still sets its face Iike flint against telling the full truth about the Derry massacre.  A long Inquiry reported in 2010 that all the dead and wounded had been unlawfully shot. Despite this, the Report stopped well short of proposing prosecution of the killers - and pointed no finger of`blame at the senior military officers who had sent the Paras in, or at the politicians who had connived at the assault and then orchestrated a cover-up.

 Lectures, debates and cultural events are highlighted, economic  struggles, women’s rights, gay rights, the rights of the environment, and many other examples of`oppression.  We have commemorated too, the killing of other innocent people by non-State groups - Dublin Monaghan, Birmingham, Shankill, Greysteel, the Ormeau bookies, etc.

We believe that the programme we have produced this year puts Bloody Sunday in its proper context, an extreme example of the fact that, commonly, it’s innocent people who pose no threat to anyone who bear the brunt of conflict.

The trek towards truth and justice has been long and sometimes arduous. But we keep on keeping on because the cause is just and gives good example to the one world in which we all struggle.

This is always the way when it comes to the violence of imperialism.

Only the persistence of family members and their supporters forced a police investigation. We await the outcome. One reason the British authorities fear the facts about Bloody Sunday is that this massacre cannot be ascribed to warring Irish factions. This was an authentically British atrocity.

Past commemorations have featured African Americans, Palestinians, former Guantanamo prisoners, victims of police violence in Britain etc., as well as members of other families bereaved by murder here in the North, in many cases murder inflicted by State agents and then systematically lied about to protect the same undercover agents.

 

 

 

Source: bloodysundaymarch.org/for_justice/