Tomás Ó Flatharta

Bernadette McAliskey addressing the rally at this year’s Bloody Sunday March For Justice which had the theme ‘End Impunity’. Despite a wet, windy, wintry day around 3500 people braved the elements to march in solidarity with the victims of Bloody Sunday and other injustices

Link to a Video of Bernadette McAliskey’s Speech :

End Impunity! on Vimeo on Vimeo

via End Impunity! on Vimeo.

Some Key Points from the speech :

Is the state of Northern Ireland governed according to the principles of openness, transparency and accountability?

Lawyers and human rights campaigners had to spend a whole day in court to force the Northern Ireland Justice Minister, Alliance Party Leader Mr David Ford, to allow Marian Price spend four hours grieving beside the coffin of her dead sister Dolours. 

Nobody read about this because Mr Ford asked the judge to prevent public reporting of the case in the media.

But Bernadette McAliskey is not reporting; she does not work for the media; so she was only telling us :

The judge told Mr Ford  that his behaviour was “unlawful, unreasonable, and irrational”.

“We are not supposed to say this” advises McAliskey.

What Should We Do Today About the New Dispensation in Northern Ireland?

“We have got to get our act together”

“We have got to do a bit more than just march”

“We have got to get a political programme together here”

“We have got to get moving”

Get the struggle for Civil Rights, Political Rights, Social Rights, Economic Rights – Together.

Or

“We are in for one hell of a hiding”

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Readers are reminded  :

Clare Daly TD questioned Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore on the imprisonment without trial of Martin Corey and Marian Price in the Dáil recently.

Video Link Here :

Clare Daly TD Questions Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore about Internment Without Trial of Martin Cory and Marian Price

Daly points out that Martin Corey has spent almost 3 years in jail without being shown any evidence justifying his incarceration – Gilmore hides behind the fact that the case is subject to an appeal in the Belfast Supreme Court next February.

Sitting beside Mr Gilmore is the Dublin Central Labour TD Mr Joe Costello, Junior Foreign Affairs Minister and a former leader of the Prisoners’ Rights Organisation.  The inaction of these government deputies on this issue is utterly shameful.

What a contrast – Eamonn McCann, Bernadette McAliskey, Clare Daly – Eamon Gilmore and Joe Costello.

Update 1 (courtesy of Padraigin Drinan); Deputies Costello and Gilmore, please note :

“The hottest places in hell are reserved for those who, in times of great moral crisis maintain their neutrality”

From Dante and quoted in the MacPherson report in to the death of Stephen Lawrence.

A Time of Deep Moral Crisis