Today, we are gathered here to commemorate the seventh anniversary of the summary state murder of Volunteer John Morris. The incident epitomises what well could be described as the Free State "shoot to kill" policy. This policy not only carried out on Vol. Morris, but to Ronan McLaughlin and John Carthy. Many people, outside the ranks of us, who are here today and other political activists who have suffered at the hands of legalised state violence, may well ask is there a shoot to kill policy in operation in the Irish Free State? The answer to such a question should be in evidence by the fact that we stand here, today, to honour the memory of a victim of such a policy.

John could have been easily arrested that day, and perhaps in many other jurisdictions, where the state are not still operating on an outdated civil war footing, he would have been taken in alive.

However, that is not the way the Free State forces operate our so called law and order. This is the same twenty-six county Free State, that encouraged their own people to voluntarily hand over twenty percent of the national territory to a foreign power, at least for the foreseeable future, and within that twenty per-cent enshrined the unionist veto under the Good Friday Agreement. Any person opposing this agreement could in theory, suffer the same fate as our brave John did.

This shoot to kill policy would appear to particularly applicable to Republican Socialist activists whose political ideology of national, economic and class liberation is an antithesis to everything the Free State stands for and, therefore, a para-fascist line is adopted by the counter-revolutionary forces of the Free State to prevent or at least stem the spread of revolutionary socialist theory. The stern measures adopted by the free state were in strong evidence on the day of the summary execution of Vol. John Morris and should serve as a sad reminder to us all, of the true nature of this state.

The policy of the free state is there for all to see. If the murder of Vol. John Morris had been in another state, under the same circumstances, then quite rightly so, there would be a deep outcry. The twenty-six Free State can murder its own citizens in cold blood, without qualm or conscience.

Its forces can (and have) murder people like John Morris without fear of being brought to justice.

The next time you hear people who pass themselves off as politicians pontificating on your television screens, or in your doorways, about the evils of totalitarian regimes in foreign lands, remember that the Irish Free State, where these people preside over is also capable of such horrors, just ask the family, friends and comrades of the late John Morris, who we remember with pride and honour today.

Onward to Victory!

Kevin Morley, on behalf of Bray IRSP

STATEMENTS ENDS