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At approx 7:00am on the morning of Thursday, May 15, the RUC mounted a series of raids (in excess of twenty homes raided) against IRSP members, supporters and their families. There was one arrest (no one else being found at home when the RUC arrived). The person arrested was Paul Carson, he was released late on Friday, May 23, after a two day interrogation in Castlereagh.
There was substansial damage caused in many homes. Ard Comhairle member Kevin McQuillen's home and office was turned upside down in a three and a half hour raid. McQuillen's computer was seized along with all our floppy discs, Party and personal literature. The IRSP mounted a vigourous legal challenge and managed to retreive the PC only yesterday evening. The PC was badly damaged internally. Through the good offices of a technical advisor, the IRSP managed to get on-line the following evening. Under existing 'anti-terrotist' legislation it is not known when, if ever, the IRSP can expect the return of the floppy discs and other materials. This was a concentrated effort by the British State, that is, the so called "socialist" Government of "New Labour" (who have shown a remarkable similarity to "Old Labour" who sent troops to the six counties in 1969 and introduced the PTA) and otherwise demonstrated their intention to disrupt the political activity of the IRSP. No doubt there is more to come. This was one of the biggest co-ordinated raids witnessed in Belfast for a long time, yet not a peep from the new MP or his party. Observers could not help but be struck by the proximity in time of this full-scale attack on the Irish Republican Socialist Movement by the British State of the latest in a seemingly endless series of calls by Sinn Fein for the Irish National Liberation Army to disband issued on May 10, in the wake of the INLA's successful action against an RUC member of the occupation forces. It can only be hoped that greater responsibility would be demonstrated by other republicans in the future, in recognition of how statements such as this contribute to creating an environment conducive to such acts of blatant repression. The Irish Republican Socialist Movement remain undeterred from the tasks before them. They remain firm in continued opposition to the failed tactic of ceasefire, reliance on bourgeois nationalist allies or the intervention of the imperialist United States government, as well as the anticipation of goodwill and fair play from the British State, which has proved its capacity for treachery to the Irish people repeatedly throughout the course of history. |