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'Gun' at hunger strikers' march prompts outcry
Monday, 18 August 2008
Unionists were outraged after a republican wielded a replica machine gun during a commemoration ceremony yesterday.
Democratic Unionist Junior Minister Jeffrey Donaldson said the march in honour of the H-block hunger strikers had been no excuse to parade the weapon.
Hundreds of republicans in Derry yesterday commemorated the 10 hunger strikers who died in Long Kesh prison in 1981.
It was the first time the annual event had been held outside Belfast.
"I think it is wholly inappropriate that people should display any kind of weaponry, whether it is replica or not," said Mr Donaldson.
"Symbolism like this should not be used, particularly from our party's perspective."
Sinn Fein defended the marchers' decision to parade the replica weapon and said its presence had a historical significance.
"Families of the victims who were killed through collusion, would have decided to have the replica in the display," added a party spokesperson. "Any criticism is typical of unionist denial around collusion and death squads."
About 300 people marched from the Rosemount factory in Derry to the republican monument in the City Cemetery yesterday.
A large-scale security operation was mounted by the PSNI, as the parade marched along a route that took in the houses where wakes had been held for hunger strikers Patsy O'Hara and Michael Devine.
Wreaths were laid by the INLA, the Irish Republican Socialist Party, the family of Patsy O'Hara, the 32 Country Sovereignty Movement and Oglaigh na h'Eireann.
Five of the hunger strikers came from Derry -- Patsy O'Hara and Michael Devine lived in the city and Francis Hughes, Tom McElwee and Kevin Lynch came from the county.
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Hypocracy thy name is Ulster Unionism...you seem to care little for the weapons of murder held by your paramilitary co-religionists...
As for republicans, every right-thinking person should condemn such frightening displays of weapons fake or real - for such weapons were made for killing fellow human beings, and all human life is precious and irreplaceable. The dead should be honoured with dignity, and not with such shows of tribalism and violence. This should be an era of being considerate and sensitive towards all sections of the comunity, and of stopping the brainwashing of your children that poisoned so many generations...
Posted by Ted Dublin | 18.08.08, 17:51 GMT
Thousand's of People were at the commemoration not hundreds as stated. Well done to all, the bands were fantastic and the hot ash song was sung beautifully. God bless the Hunger strikers and there families.
They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one Irishman who doesn't want to be broken. --Bobby Sands
Posted by eamonn og, Monaghan | 18.08.08, 16:58 GMT
Unionists -- outraged by fake gun -- refuse to decommission their real guns. The irony of it all is "wholly inappropriate" indeed.
Posted by Robert Gerard | 18.08.08, 16:14 GMT
It's not just unionists who are disgusted. There is no excuse for this. Mind you, the sham fight at Scarva involves replica weapons and staged murder. Is that any different ? And the DUP gets outraged very easily.
Posted by Yip | 18.08.08, 14:20 GMT
Typical! The DUP(e) is up in arms over a plastic toy in the hands of a Republican but still says not a word about the tons of weaponry and explosives in their fellow loyalist's hands. They should ' catch themselves on'!
Posted by Patrick | 18.08.08, 12:47 GMT
Perhaps it can be seen as general progress in Northern Ireland's journey into the post-conflict future that we now have politicians parsing over REPLICA weapons rather than the real thing.
After all, it wasn't all that long ago that an event such as mentioned above would- more than likely- have included paramilitaries packing serious heat, not copies.
While I understand that such display, even of fakes, is disturbing to Donaldson and the constituents he represents, perhaps they can channel that displeasure into renewed efforts to the eradication of the Loyalist ordinance still floating around under the floorboards.
And perhaps an independent inquiry into where it all came from.
Posted by Jon Hatch | 18.08.08, 09:28 GMT