“Fi -EXPERIENCE TEACHES POLITICAL LESSONS. We are now only…”

Fi I = # a 228 # t m. f -EXPERIENCE TEACHES POLITICAL LESSONS.

We are now only too familiar with the tactics which were used apainst the campaign. But we Iearned ta This conbribated in oo small way bn both the campaign anid aur oven political education, It was sometimes sugpestecd (hat the plurpese of the motion was to gain publicity and thet the progeser bach “uiterior motives in putting the netion, Many ameten wis lost on this ecu As the prisoners sifueple reached crisis pint, it became clear that the aie was anleimperialian. id any soctalist worthy of the name nen clearly knew where they sioct, In some clisarray the socialisl “establishment” -- the Labour Party, the reformida, SFWP, the two maticaist:

While displaying remarkable adeptness at raising points of order, generally blocking d'scussaion they also displayed a unity of purpose: Which exposed the identity of their politica ga mere variations on in impeculist theme.

Those who auppest ed) the pusaners canipaign had varying degrees of of the establishment and accepted the “advice te rennaln ‘respectable* Despite this, remarkable sicoceace were achicvedl While the trade union mowenent did not formally unite behind the sLritgyle ol the posers in the H Blocks and Armagh, substantial timbers af trade unionists cid, Tn so doing they stated quite clearly that they intended t0aee the working clags of this country united by defeating imperialism, aot by appeasing it. recopnise the woeleonertie MmTesuwes and combat them quite effectively. et al, turned te their umon rule books, On Oetober 2 lat, at Liberty Hall a @oup of journalist: met to discuss ways to boprove Northern coverage. The meeting was hard-hitting in pouting to the lies and distortions COnMeN in the press and tadin and television during the course of the TH Blesck hunger strike. The Irish lodependent woo the prize fer its coverage oo the ov of Bobby Sands death, “Sands Dead” screamed the headline, “thers must clie fer fis ucla bnsice the article read, “In i wav Sands is lucky, for hits it is all over.” RIB 's “Today Tonight" was slammed tor its adherence? to the line uf Sinn Pein the Workers Forty, and journalists pointed out that if SPWP had a Une opposed to slate repression and Partition they weineldd fever be albowed this tots] control, Another journalist poinded too “scoop” story, she had gol, an exchusive interview with a released priganet EP eae ere te a - af who had spoken to Bobby Sands only iays before his death Despite its newEworthiness, this story was guppressed, and never printed. lt wee decided to press for the establishment of codes to govern che reportage of events in theo counties todo away with the “Gun happy tecrorists” type coverage. A monitor. ing committee invelving the MU and other unions in the field of journalism sod broadcasting 3 to be att up to moniter Bi ten. 1 inl allemnpied victimisation of journal ists veo iry lo give an alternative view [ren that of the status que, Further ineetines ane to be held ard actliical look at what Vincent Browne called *placarory’ rather than investigatory journals in other fiekls (such 3. women's rigtts, di ith strike coverage, éic,} will ae taker, ROSE O'MAHONEY