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March for Political Status in Lurgan

27/07/10

Over 500 people marched in Lurgan on Sunday afternoon [July 25] to demand political status for the republican prisoners incarcerated in Maghaberry jail.

Despite a heavy PSNI presence and attempts by the force to stop people travelling from outside the town reaching the assembly point, the hundreds of marchers made their way through the centre of Lurgan, led by the families of political prisoners.

Upon reaching the Shankill estate, the rally was chaired by former anti-H-Block campaigner and one-time member of the Relatives Action Committees Maura McCrory. A statement from the political prisoners in Maghaberry was read out, while Paul Duffy, the brother of Lurgan republican and current prisoner Colin, gave the main oration.

The low-flying Crown Forces helicopter failed to drown out McCrory as she ended the rally by pledging that those present would break the British government’s policy of criminalisation, just as was done in the early 1980s.

Rúnaí ginearálta éirígí Breandán Mac Cionnaith, who was one of the many party activists to attend Sunday’s march, said: “The conditions which the republican prisoners in Maghaberry are forced to endure are completely unacceptable. Degrading strip searches must be ended and the right to free association among republican prisoners must be recognised.

“The refusal to recognise these rights has created a pressure cooker type situation within Maghaberry that has the potential to escalate further.”

Mac Cionnaith continued: “In éirígí’s opinion, the restoration of political status for all republican prisoners is the only just solution to this conflict. There is no requirement on anyone to agree to a certain political position to recognise this fact – all those with an interest in human rights should join the campaign for political status.”

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