Free the Six!

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FREE THE SIX!

The Guildford four are victims of a conspiracy, but it is one that goes much wider and deeper than a few British police and extends beyond the four, the Birmingham six, the Winchester three and many others. In fact the central plank of British policy in Ireland is a conspiracy of repression directed against the majority of the Insh people. There is no ‘new evidence’ in the Guildford four case.

All the facts establishing their innocence have been known for many years. The only ‘new’ fact was the fact that some copper was stupid enough to write down and file the details of the frameup. A few relatively junior police are now being fingered,but the individuals involved in the case go all the way up to Peter Imbert, Chief of London metropolitan police, and include a conspiracy at the highest levels of the British Directorate of public prosecutions to hide evidence. Many of the facts were exposed by the defence and presented to senior judges at the appeal court, only to have the evidence rejected. In fact a ‘fit-up’ sheet similiar to the document that led to the release of the Guildford four was presented in evidence at the recent Birmingham six appeal, only to be rejected by the judiciary. The disbandment of the Midlands serious crime squad and the release of the Guildford four has not been enough to obtain their release. Even when it came to the eventual release of the four the Brits did not dare trust their judiciary and instead withdrew the prosecution case. Yet the state has this power in all the cases - then Home Secretary Hurd could have pardoner the prisoners at any time. He has refused to do so and refused to offer the slightest apology to his victims. Today the British protect the conspirators, hang on like grim death to their other innocent victims, and maintain and extend the legal loopholes that allow this reign of terror. Censorship even today prevents protest songs about the Guildford four and the Birmingham six from being broadcast. The PTA allows virtually limitless powers of arrest, used mainly against Irish citizens, and the power of seven-day detention is held even at the cost of public condemnation by the European court. This law especially is designed as a torturers charter - allowing time for isolation and illtreatment to produce the sort of ‘confessions’ that jailed the Guildford four.

In the North the Diplock courts provide ‘quickfit’ justice and are presently the spearhead of a witchunt against moumers at the Milltown massacre funerals for defending themselves against attack by undercover soldiers. Attheend of November chief steward “Cleeky’ Clarke got 9 years for this offence. The next day we had the ludicrous spectacle of Lord Justice Gibson retiring to consider by himself if he could be impartial in the latest “corporals tials’ case (he had already convicted on substantially the same evidence). He decided to continue with the trial but promised to keep an eye on himself for evidence of partiality!

The other side of the coin is Crown forces who are above the law. They can shoot to kill or leak information that enables Loyalist gangs to carry out assassinations, confident that the law, the courts and the government will support their case. British policy is to terrorise Irish people and make sure that there is no mass resistance to their rule in Ireland.

To that end they maintain a corrupt police force and judiciary, legislate to allow the torture of suspects and censor attempts to expose the resulting injustices.

In Dublin one of the main results of the latest furore has to tie the 26- county government into direct involvement with the repression through the Hillsborough agreement, the use of extradition and Garda information ‘leaked’ to the British.

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The Birmingham six and other Irish prisoners framed by the British must be released. The “emergency” laws, deliberately designed to assist the British to torture and frame innocent people, must be repealed. Censorship in Britain and the 26 counties which helps to cover up these injustices must be ended. Above all, no more Irish people should be extradited to face British ‘Justice’.

These tasks deserve more than a routine condemnation by the anti-imperialist movement. They are objectives supported by the majority of the Irish people and require a real campaign of mass proportions if they are to be won. Peoples Democracy, in the last issue of An Munster fight against extradition Approximately 40 people representing all 6 counties of | Munster met in Limerick at the end of September to discuss the state of the anti-extradition campaign in the province following the very impressive election campaign in support for Fr. Ryan for a seat on the European parliament. It was generally agreed that while some of the momentum had been lost over the summer period, the 30 000 plus votes for Fr. Ryan still provided a strong | base on which to revitalise the fight against extradition.

The meeting decided that the unity and co-ordination which made the election campaign such a success Reabhloid, called for the building on an open conference by the ant-imperialist movement. That call should now be discussed by the members of the various groups and parties. But we don’t have to wait for conferences. There is nothing to prevent unity in action on these issues now and a real opportunity to drive back repression and collaboration.

FREE THE SIX!

END THE FRAMEUP LAWS!

STOP EXTRADITION!

should be continued and expanded and a pro- | posal to establish a “Munster Co-ordinating Committee Against Extradition” was adopted.

Delegates from each of the Munster Dail constituencies were selected to represent their areas on the committee. The initial work of the committee will be to encourage and promote the establishment of local committees. Tentative proposals for a Munster anti-extradition rally were discussed, as was a suggestion that a Munster conference should be arranged at a future date at which broader forces might be encouraged to participate.

JOE HARRINGTON.