Imperialism Murders Bobby Sands

The election of Bobby Sands as member of Parliament for Fermanagh/South Tyrone on the H=-Block/Armagh political prisoner ticket was an important victory for the second hunger strike campaign, Against al] the ptedictions of the press and T.V., despite the unprecedently vicious campaign of the SDLP urging anti-unionists to vote “for Harry West, despite the arrogant protestations of Maggie Thatcher about the impossibility of the 5 demands ever Leing granted, Bobby Sands victory at the polls was an unmistakable sign that the campaign for political status was supported by the majority of the Irish people, In these few days after April 9th, when thé Tories dropped their attempts to unseat Sands as M.P., victory seemed within our ‘Brasp. * ;

How is it possible now that Bobby Sands is dead?) How dig it happen that the movement could not prevent his death? And what does | ‘this say about the possibility of saving ‘the lives of the other 3 himger strikers and winning the 5 demands?

‘It is bécause this must now be our main concern that we have to look carefully at -the weaknesses’ ‘of the two campaigns so that mistakes.are not repeated and the important. lessons are learnt,.

‘One of the most important lessons of the ‘' struggle around the 5 demands is what Maggie Thatcher represents, It is not any ‘Govt, that can'withstand the pressure directed at it by the Hunger strike camp'aign. It built massive mobilisations ‘North and South = the biggest seen in ‘Ireland since the early ‘70s, Internation‘ally there was. pressure from; the U.S.A., _ France, Portugal, Norway, Greece, Malta. In Ireland limited expressions of concern ‘from the major: Nationalist parties were given point by resolutions of support and Strike action from Trades unionists throughout the .32..countiesi:” A--=++ 44-22 But this is no ordinary British Government. It is one of the most vicious right-wing Tory regimes ever seen in that country, It is a Govt, that plans to isolate, crim‘inalise and defeat the anti-imperialist movement and in so doing humiliate the _ Irish people as a whole - a determination matched only by their determination to attack the British working class. In Britain as well as Ireland unemployment, cutbacks, poverty and misery have now become the order of the day, A defeat on the Irish question would throw the whole strategy of the Govt. into question and mark a major crisis for imperialism internationally, The extremely reactionary nature of this Govt. and the central importance of political status is then the first lesson which we tust firmly grasp. This itself points to the second lesson, There is.

absolutely no point in placing reliance | on patties like Fainna Fail and the SDLP ‘to uphold the democratic rights of the f “| Irish people, Junior partners) in imperialist exploitation is the gamé which these parties play. Unfortunately, far too many peole still have confidence in their ability to find a solution to the hunger strike crisis, We have not. succecded in compelling these parties to throw their weight behind the forces 6f the hunger-strike campaign, This is why the demands;

WITHDRAW FROM THE COUNCILS END THE HAUGHEY - THATCHER TALKS EXPEL THE BRITISH AMBASSADOR are. crucial now in the fight to build a movement thah can save the lives of Francie Hughes, Ray NcCreesh and Patsy O'Hara, The other lesson we must learn is the central importance of industrial action by the organised working class. We have made trementious progress in building Trade union action often with few resources. ~The whole force-cf, che campaign directed at workers can ensure victory for us.

Robby Sands died a lone prisoner in a prison cell after-66 daye of torture. Three times each day the British left feod at his bedside'even: after the point where ! his body wouls have been able to absorb food, Even bis last days were mad? wunendurable by sanctimonious representatives of Church and state telling him that he, and not the massive state fotces arrayed against him, was responsible for the violems, These lies have been repeated and used to justify his murder, They need to he answered, Firstly Thatcher's inane statement that ‘a €Yime is e crime’, The answer to that is quite simple. In the North of Ireland ‘criminality’ depends on whether yeu are a pto-imperialist cr an anti-imperialist, The R.U.C. have defined support for H-Block and Armagh as a crime and will : attack any supporters who’ date to enter Belfast City centre. Meanwhile Paisley can attack Dublin councillors while they stand aside. Any defence ttovement by C.cdolics is automaticeliv attacked while Lic UDA, otfganise without restriction, Bobby gets 14 years fur posession of -gun while Loyalists walk free or get suspended sentences. The British aimy ran murder youths in Derry y-ihout even the pretence of anverquiry. It's this unbridled imperialist violence that Thatcher and Foot are bypocrtically defending.

The second line of defence is that Bobby committed suicide anid that therefore the British had no responsibility for his death. Bobby Sands never wanted te die, He was however willing to die rather than bow the knee to British oppression, Yor tive years he tried every other course open to him befote reserting to the final tactic of the hunger strike. Massive numbers of Irish people demonstrated in his defence and a majority of the Fermanagh -South Tyrone electorate voted their support for ois demands, When the British decided to defy.all this they were deciding to murder Bobby Sands, The truth is that the hunger strike is enshrined in history as the final weapon of the oppressed and exploited. it is a Final appeai co all those who are also oppressed to unit~.and to organise in the defence of the pvtisoners, This is. “he choice that faces all sections of Irish society, Are they on the side of the epptessed or on thé side of the oppressors: The SDLP and Fainna Fail must come off the fence, The lives of the other hunger strikers can be saved, but we must let the Itish people know who are their allies and who are their enemies in this struggle. sonstewn atea of Belfast and Gerry Fitt*s chiof henchman, pickea the 63rd day of Bo bby Sant s hunger sttike to denounce ‘intimidation’, We didn't mean British intimidation De the Hunger strike campaign. He meant that the campaign was intimidating him by asking him to witharaw: from the council un:il the prisoner's struggle was resolved:

{in a reply John McAnulty, P.D. candidate in the area, peinted out that the campaign's activity was perfectly legitimate and thet Devlin had lost all touch with the political apinions of bis constituents. He noted that Devlin had-net condenmed the arrest of himself and seven other H-Block/Armagh militants on the Belfast May Day march - an example of real intimictation by the RUC... He want \ on to challange Devlin to a debate, | So far we have had no reply. Perhaps Paddy has learnt wisdom from his old pal Gerry Fitt, who is now lying low after his earlier attacks on the prisoners. P.D. is standing candidates against both Fitt and Devlin to expos: their [=< socialisp and throw their attack: on the prisorers back in their teeth. We again tenéw our call to all councillors and candidates to inuicate their intention of withdrawing from the council.

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* a BS Scenes c DESVEbhy secre CHA LLENG En Paddy Devlin, a PSENt TS lor for he Sake a ar ee Ee