IMGpapers 1976–79

Newspapers of the International Marxist Group and its forerunners, 1976–79

Long Kesh Letter full of fight

Socialist Challenge No. 67, 12 October 1978 · p. 10 of the scan · 637 words

The scan: sc-n67-oct-12-1978.pdf (PDF, Marxists Internet Archive, opens at this page)

Uncorrected machine reading. This text was read by machine (Apple Vision OCR) from a scan of a newspaper page, and the page was cut into articles by machine, at the headlines found by their type size. Nothing has been corrected: expect misread words, text from a neighbouring article, and titles that are the machine reading of the headline, some of them only fragments. Quote from the scan, not from this page.
How this article was cut and titled: headline found by type size in the OCR geometry (split_tabloid.py); 1-3 of 7; machine-segmented newspaper page; uncorrected Vision OCR.

page 10 of the scan

IT'S AGES since I've written. I've told vou betore how one gets in here at times, but I'll not DULC YUU ally excuses.

My form isn't that bad, reminds me of the notes on an accordion high and low; altnougn aia nave a good summer, relatively speaking.

DOTCUOR! about

biggest snag in here. After so iong cveryuning seems playea out, and once enjoyable OcCupaLIOIs and wavs passing the time are no longer such.

The result is that for long periods you get totally browned off. It is indeed a hard slog especially for a moaner and complamer uke mysei.

PREDICTION A lot has happened since I last wrote. Old Henry Heaney died. I wrote often about him in Socialisi enalenge predictions inevitably came Lue. ney Were Caus for ulcers in the stomach while l was realy canicer.

But then, what do you expect LONE Kesh; suffering, torture and keys take priority over health. lustice. freedom and people.

There is a growing air of success in relation to H Block. Doubters like myself who once thought people wouldn't rally to the cause of the prisoners nave been a aery orover wrong The volume of protest and suDoorL Irom une ocosic na: completely overawed and particularly those in the block. We never expected it to be so successtul. and that success has given us great hope and heart for the future, for our aims and ideals.

The years 1976-1978 were crucial years. The struggle for national liberation was GCC - had lost sight ot the ultimate goal and was generally misdirected Inrougn things as elitism and sectarianISIH.

ROOTS Now the grass TOOLsare involved again on the streets and sectarianism is no longer an issue.

The numbers at the Relatives ACBON Committee protests and marches is very heartening, and people who were always sympathetic are no longer afraid to air their opinions by @tending marches and protests • ceso te ure severe narass ment by the RUC and the Bri For too long we in prison relied exclusively on purely military achievements to give us hope and bolster morale, but now we think in terms military potential and volume of protest. Both are in a healthy state at present.

Last might markea the second anniversary of Kieran Nugent's LIC blanket' protest. Although the H Block is about Socialist Challenge 12October 1978 Page 10 nall a mile irom us in the polical stalus cages, we neara constant noise from the block HUIC all day.

At 8pm last night the five cages ol Kebuolicans status climbed onto the roofs and acknowledged the anniver sary and actions DUSOnCIS 11 the singing and making a great noise towards them.

of SOLACE It must surely have brought comior ane solace Lo tosc who have been isolated for so JOng. WnO Musi Have CADCIl enced great loneliness and who have had no contact with the outside world.

In previous letters 1 have mentioned how those 'on the blanket' are regularly moved •TOM DOCK O DOCK. OF WYLI wing, for "security" my regularly searched. The OrISOnCES the form of being tipped upside down and a close inspection of sunc anus So much for the TV and adverts for officers:, I'm husband and he nen •V V wife wouldn't be proud of me if I spent my time inspecting anuses and cleaning up after tortured men ana women.

ROUTINE I often wonder if the screws ever tell their wives and families us, of their true daily Somehow I doubt if they do. Only last week a girl up seeing her boyfriend in here was refused entry because wouldn't take off her sanitary towel for inspection.

This harassment of visitors must also be the H Block by dISU This takes - LIAM 12 YEARS TAr - KIERAN O. HAGAN 18 YEARS

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