Tory crackdown exploits

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Repression against opponents • of British imperialism in Ireland is being stepped up. And central to the crackdown is the so-called "Prevention of Terrorism" Act (PTA)-the legislation forced through Parliament by the Labour In the six years it has been in operation the PTA has been used to detain over 4,600 mainly Irish workers-80% of them at docks and airports.

In January-April 1980 alone 117 people were held under the PTA.

Few PTA detainees are ever brought to trial-91% are released without charge after being held for up to seven days and subjected to ill-treatment and interrogation.

This routine harassment of Irish people has now been extended to increased police attacks on protestors opposing the use of the PTA.

In Luton, in particular, police in April launched violent attack on pickets demanding the release of Provisional Sinn Fein members Jim Reilly and Gerry MacLochlainarresting five supporters of the RCG publication Hands off Ireland, four of whom were detained overnight and charged.

Since then, MacLochlain and Reilly have been charged with 'conspiracy to cause explosions' -though this has not as yet been backed up by so much as a scrap of evidence in court.

Every possible obstruction has been raised by police and Luton magistrates to prevent and delay these two defendants obtaining bail.

Actor

Meanwhile another victim of the crackdown on Irish people was the Irish actor and puppeteer Eugene Lambert, arrested at the end of April.

Falsely charged with desertion from the British army 34 years ago, he was thrown into a filthy cell in communicado for several hours-denied access to relatives or a solictor, and denied food.

was not even allowed a shave or the use of a comb before appearing in the dock. He was eventually released on the astronomical bail of £20,000:

The intensified harassment Irish people and opponents ut int imperanst occupation of the six counties is of course in part a reflection of the Tory moves to strengthen the state apparatus in general as part of their offensive against the working class.

But it is also a response to the growing strength of the anti-imperialist struggle in Ireland itself.

The confidence of the police in carrying through such attacks is enhanced by the almost complete refusal of trade union and Labour leaders to challenge these abuses of basic democratic rights.

Not only did Labour ministers force through the PTA in the first place, but Labour spokesmen on Ireland make it a point of principle to uphot their "bi-partisan" support it= Tory policy on Ireland =tice commits them in advans := support the repressive Des whereby imperialist rut s upheld.

And, few workers.

This is equally true of the National Union of Students, which on May 7 yet again cancelled a demonstration in protest against the PTA.

Mandate

The NUS after a spate of detentions of conference delegates from Northern Ireland, had at first been mandated to call a demonstration against the PTA by a vote of the November 1979 conference.

That march was cancelled ten days before it was due to take place. The second march was cancelled at the very last minute, after arrangements for "iller: Andrew Wiard, Report Wiard Renom.

it had been sabotaged by the NUS leadership, and a mere 60 students were left stranded in the eleventh-hour cancellation.

Among the other unions formally committed to opposition to the PTA is the National Union of Journalists.

The fight must be redoubled throughout = = movemen: = -FE I LE ST T 22 EE I AT LE war. ..Hi MPs to struggle for its outright repeal.

Insofar as it offers an arena for the discussion of such issues, the June 14 Conference "Voices for withdrawal" organised by the Committee for withdrawal from Ireland should be supported by Labour movement bodies, even though it is called without any commitment to an anti-imperialist policy or even condemnation of British repression in Ireland.

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Wednesday

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Taken into court handcuffed between two other prisoners, he