Feminist Marie
Socialist Republic1978Women's liberationThe Southern state and its partiesWomen's liberationThe Southern state and its parties
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with well known 'pimps', but eee The case of the State vers be of “common prostitution ' and out charges of ‘Breach of the asainst Marie. tO politics! Marie McMahon is well known activists north and south of the border. An ex-menber of P.D., she has been nmuously active in both the 1ti-imperialist and feminist move ments over the past ten veavs. She has been a constant source of irritation to the Southern Gardai.
The case arose from the fact that she had given help to an RTE radio programme in contacting a prostitute who was Axe @ number of accusations = the Garda Vice squad on io. Her accusations, up by a Dublin social who had made a number ‘idavits to Dublin Castle on the matter,revealed that not only as shat there were cases of Gardai ‘assaulting’ prostitutes and refusing to protect those women who were attempting to break from the criminals who operate a stranglehold over Dublin& prostitution racket.
Marie McMahon became personally involved in protecting one such woman and her children from a notorious British 'pimp' well known to Dublin Gardai. It was in her company that Marie was arrested on her way home one night a couple of months ago. The trumped up charges against her met with firm resistance from feminists,civil libertarians and socialists. On the day of ner trial a hundred strong picket was placed on the court™ house demanding an end to political victimisation and the right of women to walk the streets unmolested. Fearing the consequences Of their action the state dropped the charges.
The lessons however are clear | The Marie McMahon case shows the extent to which the Southern police will go to frame and blacken its political opponents. on trumped up charge