Today we are gathered to remember our comrades that have died in the struggle for freedom. As we stand at the graves of our Derry martyrs, let us also recall 2 others that have been killed, one in May this year, Ronan McLochlainn and last June Republician Socialist John Morris.

John Morris was shot 4 times from behind by plain clothes Gardai special branch in Inchicore Dublin on 8th June 1997 and died of his injures the following day.

Despite the growing list of organisations jumping on the civil liberties band wagon - not one person or group has questioned the Gardai actions. John Morris was an member of the Irish National Liberation Army and a prominent anti-drugs activist in his home area of Tallaght. When he died, the national dailies were falling over themselves to demonise him and his organisation. Lies upon lies were printed as the Gardai excelled themselves in fabrications. This of course was stage one in their attempt to cover up the blatant murder of an Irish Republican Socialist.

During the wake, the area surrounding his home was saturated by special branch officers in an attempt to intimidate the community and comrades of Johns that came to pay their respects. Despite this hundreds attended his funeral and saw the 12 man colour party flank his coffin in a fitting and dignified tribute to a Volunteer.

Ronan McLochlainn was gunned down in Wicklow by members of the Special Branch on Friday, May 1st, during an attempted robbery of a security van containing £300,000.

In the hours after his murder, contradictory statements from the Gardai emerged, one being that he fired first while Special branch tried to arrest him, the second that he didn't fire but instead pointed his gun at Gardai members.

Lies and more lies -- the IRSP has learned from eye witnesses that Ronan was shot as he attempted to get away and that the Branchmen tried to murder all the members of the robbery team by setting up a carefully planned ambush that had to be aborted when passersby stumbled on the scene. Like the John Morris killing, not one prominent so called democrat has come out demanding any kind of investigation into his murder.

We demand that a public inquiry be set up to investigate both these murders.

We demand a full independent inquiry into the murder of John Morris and Ronan McLochlainn, and we call on the Freestate government to stop their "shoot to kill policy" against freedom fighters.

Next Friday sees the test for the British manufactured attempt to end the armed liberation struggle by a contrived election that pretends to offer hope to those that vote yes and despair to those that vote no.

The I.R.S.P. has made no secret of its opposition to the politics of the peace process. Based on our Republican experience of dealing with the British, especially throughout the H-block Hunger strikes, we have learnt "Never to trust the British".

Such an attitude should be second nature to Irish Republicans.

The leadership of the I.R.S.P. calls on the working class in Ireland to vote no in the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement.

Vote No because the agreement institutionalises sectarianism and encourages the northern working class to stay stuck in the camps of nationalism or unionism. We consider unionism an essentially reactionary philosophy based on imperialist attitudes of racism and supremacy. Yet that same unionism under the new assembly is elevated to a position of being able to block any progressive moves towards a unified state.

Sectarianism is to be now considered a legitimate expression of cultural identity.

We recognise that Irish nationalism has been a progressive force but we want the working class to move to a post nationalist age when radical republicanism and socialism move us towards a SECULAR SOCIALIST REPUBLIC.

Unfortunately, until the division of Ireland is ended it will be extremely difficult to move towards such an ideal. Partition is itself the main bulwark of reactionary ideologies. Any genuine socialist must see that the ending of partition is the prerequisite step towards socialism.

Breaking from both unionism and nationalism will be the best step the Irish working class could do.

Vote No because the agreement will leave Irish republican prisoners still in gaol. Only those who sign up to British pre-conditions will be given 66% remission. Whether Republicans continue to wage war or not is outside the control of prisoners yet some will be victimised because of things beyond their control. The only principled position that republicans can take on the issue is the unconditional release of political prisoners.

Vote No because the agreement re-cements the partitionist structures of both states. The original partition of Ireland proved the truth of James Connolly's words that it would lead to a carnival of reaction.

UNIONISM'S RECORD

We have had 50 years of unionism's disgraceful gerrymandering, pogroms and discrimination against the nationalist working class and repression against radical working class elements, followed by 26 years of British Government controlled murder squads in and out of uniform, marginalisation, censorship, demonisation internment torture, brutalisation of political prisoners, poverty and economic sanctions against working class areas, and we have still to hear one word of apology from them.

Unionism under Trimble, (he of Vanguard, and the Garvaghy Road fame) will once again be back in the saddle at STORMONT, this time with the help and support of the SDLP.

THE PRICE OF STRUGGLE

Was it for this that we endured the years from 1968? While the methods of resistance must change to take account of the new realities let none be under any illusion, the struggle goes on.