Tony Taylor is an ex Republican prisoner who was released under licence by Theresa Villiers, former Secretary

of State for Northern Ireland in August 2014. The terms of the licence state that Tony can be sent back to prison if
he is deemed to have been involved in any criminal activity.
Following his release Tony has been involved in legal political work for the Republican Network for Unity
(RNU) including community initiatives and mediation aimed at keep young people in Derry out of trouble. RNU
have argued that Tony Taylor has spearheaded the revival of RNU in Derry and that is why he has been singled
out by the British State.
The Chair of the Free Tony Taylor Campaign in Derry spoke to IRPSG: On 10th March 2016 Tony was on a
shopping trip with his partner, his disabled son and his two teenage daughters. Armed police surrounded the
family car and Tony was arrested and taken straight to Maghaberry prison. Tonys solicitor has been told that he
was returned to gaol on the basis of intelligence reports that he cannot see or challenge. Tony was brought
straight to Maghaberry, without questioning, charge or trial and he was denied legal representation. Tonys
solicitor has also said: It is argued this is a case of internment in all but name. Our instructions are that since his
release from prison Tony Taylor has positively contributed to local politics in Derry by peacefully raising benefit
cuts, prison conditions and policing issues.
The pressure for Tonys release is growing from a strong campaign led by the RNU prisoners organization,
Cogs and the Free Tony Taylor Campaign. Tonys partner, Lorraine, has spoken at public meetings about the
devastating impact of Tonys arrest and imprisonment on the family. The campaign has secured motions calling
for Tonys release from Derry City Council, Sinn Fin, People Before Profit and the SDLP.
A family spokesperson told the Derry Journal: The family car was suddenly stopped and surrounded by police
cars, and Tony was taken away without any explanation given. Tonys young family which includes two teenage
girls and his son, who has physical and mental disabilities and also suffers from epilepsy, were seriously
traumatised by this experience.
The Maghaberry authorities seem to be singling Tony out for harsh treatment. He has spent two periods in
solitary confinement. The last period in solitary was for 7 days from 30th June when Tony was also refused
medication. Tony suffers poor health due to shrapnel being inside his body as a result of his republican activity in
the early 90s, this means his medication is a necessity, not a privilege or luxury.
British rule in the North of Ireland is unsustainable in the long term. The much hyped Peace Process is a cover
for the stabilisation of British rule in the North of Ireland. British rule depends on discrimination against Irish
Nationalists and an economy based on public sector spending especially on Prisons, Police and Security with
privileged treatment for Loyalist workers to ensure their support.
This all fits in with the British strategy to pacify resistance to Imperialist control of Northern Ireland. General
Frank Kitsons book Low Intensity Operations (1971) describes the British objective to discover and neutralise
the genuine subversive elements. An essential feature of this process is to target those capable of organising
serious opposition. At the same time psychological operations are used to isolate the serious opposition from the
people. Dirty tricks and agent provocateurs are used to discredit the cause. Has anything really changed for
Nationalists in working class estates as a result of the Peace Process? The harassment of Republicans and
community activists will continue as long as Britains rule in Ireland lasts.
IRPSG urges supporters to join the next protest on 3rd September at 11 am at Downing Street. See Events box for
details. Info: Facebook - London Supporters of Tony Taylor Facebook - Cogs POWs
Write to Tony Taylor at: Roe House MAGHABERRY, Old Road Ballinderry Upper, Lisburn,County Antrim,
BT28 2PT.
Write in protest to James Brokenshire at: Northern Ireland Office, 1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ

Irish Republican
Prisoners Support
Group
Newsletter No. 4 September 2016 Suggested Donation 50p
PO Box 59188, London NW2 9LJ, irpsgroup@gmail.com
The IRPSG is a group of comrades who campaign for political status for Irish political prisoners. We include those in
political organizations like the Mumia Abu-Jamal campaign and other individual anti-imperialist activists. We campaign
for political status for ALL Irish Republican political prisoners regardless of political affiliations. Our pickets have been
supported by many Republican and Left organisations.

Justice for the Craigavon Two!

The IRPSG works in England to support the campaign for the release of the Craigavon 2, Brendan McConville and
John Paul Wooton. The 2 young men were convicted of the killing of PSNI officer Stephen Carroll in March 2009.
We argue that these two men are innocent, that they have been wrongfully convicted and are victims of another frameup by the British State.
Following the killing of Stephen Carroll there was a huge outcry from the state and the media, the Crown Forces were
put under pressure to make arrests. The PSNI set about manufacturing and manipulating evidence. The result is that
the Craigavon 2 are likely to spend the rest of their lives in prison. They need your support.
The so called evidence against Brendan and John Paul is unconvincing. The star witness for the prosecution has been
described as a Walter Mitty for the following reasons: It took eleven months for him to come forward and when he
confessed he was intoxicated; He has continuously lied under oath and his testimony has been discredited; It has been
alleged that this same crown witness has also received payments from the tabloid press and members of the PSNI;
Contradictory and inconsistent forensic evidence - no forensic evidence from either of the accused was found on the
weapon used. The Craigavon 2s legal team have lobbied the UN to stop the PSNI from destroying evidence which
suggests that the investigation was tainted and corrupt.
In May 2015 the Supreme Court rejected an appeal application from the Craigavon 2. Their lawyers have now made
an application to the Criminal Case Review Committee and asked them to send the case back to the Court of Appeal.
Prominent lawyer Michael Mansfield QC has made it public that he believes that the Craigavon Two are victims of a
miscarriage of justice. Similar concerns were expressed by the late Gerry Conlon (Guildford Four): Just heard that
the government judges have upheld the convictions of the Craigavon Two. It is an appalling decision in light of the
new evidence and witnesses that were called on behalf of Brendan and John Paul.
The impact of the arrest and subsequent imprisonment of Brendan McConville has entailed the separation of Brendan
from his fianc and children and from their local communities in Northern Ireland and in England. Brendan has no
prior convictions, and his family had no previous experience of legal matters. John Paul, who was a teenager when
convicted, has had his life stolen away by his incarceration. He has not had the opportunity to live the normal life of a
young man, searching for a job, house, or living with a partner and start a family, as these are out of the question for
John Paul at the present time. Brendans parents are pensioners and his incarceration has taken a huge toll on them
health wise due to the stress. John Pauls family have also faced a similar ordeal. We ask for the public to support this
case which is a fight for justice, to put pressure on the Court of Appeal to accept that this case is a frame-up and for
justice to prevail so that John Paul Wooton and Brendan McConville are released and able to rejoin their families.
The IRPSG is supporting the pickets of Downing Street on 3-9-16 and 24-9-16 in support of the Craigavon 2 and
Tony Taylor. See the Events box for more details.

They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the
spirit of one Irishman who doesnt want to be broken - Bobby Sands
Sands

Free Tony Taylor Another British Frame-up

They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the

spirit of one Irishman who doesnt want to be broken - Bobby

Hands off the Anatolian

Peoples Cultural Centre

The IRPSG send comradely greetings to the Anatolian

Peoples Cultural Centre (APCC) who have supported
protests for Irish POWs. We urge readers to join the
campaign against British State harassment of the APCC.
At 6.30am on 6 April, the Anatolian Peoples Cultural
Centre in north London and the homes of two activists
from the centre were raided by a Metropolitan Police
counter-terrorism squad. The activists were arrested and
released later the same day on police bail, under which
they have to present themselves three times a week at a
police station; the Cultural Centre remains closed.
The Centre has been in operation for 16 years. Its
membership is drawn mainly from refugees from the
political struggles in Kurdistan and Turkey, many of whom
continue to actively follow politics in the country they have
fled and to participate in legal anti-racist, anti-imperialist,
socialist political activity in London. However, the Cultural
Centre itself is not engaged in political activity; it has
charitable status and funding from the local council, and
organises community activities, such as educational
courses, music and theatre performances, outings and
excursions, as well as being involved in programmes to
educate young people about drugs and deter them from
gang participation.
It seems unlikely to be a coincidence that this attack took
place just weeks after Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet
Davatoglu met with David Cameron in the course of talks
around Turkey-EU refugee and trade agreements. The
raids took place on the basis of allegations that the
Cultural Centre is being used to fundraise for the
Revolutionary Peoples Liberation Party/Front (Devrimci
Halk Kurtulu Partisi-Cephesi - DHKP-C), which is an
illegal organisation in Turkey and banned in Britain under
the Terrorism Act 2000. The order to close the Cultural
Centre was issued under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime
and Policing Act 2014 - apparently the first time such an
order has been used in this way to close premises which
are alleged to have links to a banned organisation.
The APCC refused to stop its activities and set up a
temporary centre in a tent opposite the locked building.
The police attacked again, raiding the tent on 31 May and
making seven arrests. Again, all were released on police
bail. No-one has been charged with any criminal offence
and no evidence of links between the Cultural Centre and
any banned organisation or illegal publication has been
produced. This is sheer harassment, designed to
intimidate community activists. It is an attack, not just on
the rights of the Kurdish and Turkish community but on all
of us, and we must stand together to oppose it!
Facebook: Hands Off the Anatolian People's Cultural
Centre
They have

Escalating Brutality in
Maghaberry
Brendan McConville was one of the Republican prisoners
attacked by prison officers in Maghaberry on 10th August
and then moved to solitary confinement. Republican
prisoners in Maghaberry responded by refusing food in
protest at vicious assaults on POWs.
The statement below is from Republican Sinn Fin on
11/8/16: The Roe Four landing, where most republican
prisoners are held, was invaded by riot police and guard
dogs before being placed on lock down. Prisoners were
forced to seek medical attention following the attack.
Several prisoners were taken to the punishment block at
the heavily fortified British state prison in County Antrim,
where tensions are now at their highest in almost two
years.
Not only were the riot squad involved in yet another
controversial incident regarding Republican PoWs, those
who delegate the brutality [the governors] decided this
time to inflict it with their own hands, physically striking our
men behind the wire. Two governors found it acceptable to
strike two PoWs.
In a separate statement issued through the Irish
Republican Prisoners Welfare Association, another group
of prisoners described what they said was a co-ordinated
physical attack. They said two governors were physically
involved in an assault in which five prisoners were
grabbed or beaten. Prisoners Sean McVeigh, Jason
Ceulmans, Brian Walsh, Darren Poleon, Brendan
McConville and Anthony Davison, were among those
assaulted and dragged to the ground in the melee. The
IRPWA said that they were danced all over by the riot
squad as they lay on the ground.
This was the combination of months of harassment and
intimidation against Republican Prisoners.
This was a co-ordinated attack carried out by former HBlock screws [warders] and Crumlin Road screws, former
UDR men and others who have regularly abused and
intimidated republican prisoners on the landings.
Seven governors were present on the wing while
republican prisoners were locked down for five hours with
no access to health care, solicitors, toilets or food before
being escorted to cells by dozens of screws clad in riot
gear.
It is obvious that the Six County Prison Service is
determined to break the spirit and resolve of Republican
Prisoners and they will happily resort to the old tactic of
physical violence but we remain today unbowed and
unbroken Republican Political Prisoners.
Statement from Cogs Republican Political Prisoners
In solidarity with our Comrade's currently held and isolated
in Maghaberry Jail's punishment block SSU, we have
decided along with our Comrade's in Roe House, to begin
protest action commencing today Sunday 14th August by
refusing prison meals. The prisoners protest which
united all Republican organisations was called off after the
3 prisoners were returned to the Republican wings.
More background:
https://jftc2.com/
http://republicannews.org/current/news/2016/08/governors_assault_prison
ers_in.html#.V7BrrpMrKV4
http://irpwa.com/statement-from-republican-prisoners-roe4-maghaberry-110816/

Irishman who doesnt want to be broken - Bobby Sands

nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the spirit of one

Irish Republican Prisoners Support Group

List of POWs
Maghaberry Prison
Old Road
Ballinderry Upper
Lisburn

Maghaberry Prison
Old Road
Ballinderry Upper
Lisburn

ROE 4: IRPWA
John Paul Wootton
Brendan McConville
Martin Kelly
Tarlach Mac Dhomhnaill
Barry Concannon
Jason Ceulemans
Damien Harkin
Neil Hegarty
Nathan Hastings
Thomas Mellon
Christopher O Kane
Seamus McLaughlin
Gerard McManus
Kevin Barry Nolan
Barry Petticrew
Seamus Kearney
Aidan Coney
Gavin Coney
Mark McGuigan
Martin McGilloway (CSU)

ROE 3: Cabhair
Ciaran Collins
Gabriel Mackle
Eugene Mc Loone
Martin McLoone
Willie Wong
Cogs Prisoners
Phil ODonnell
Eamon Cassidy
Conor Hughes
Gerard Flanagan
Carl Reilly
Tony Taylor
Ta McWilliams

Portlaoise Gaol
E3 & E4, Dublin Road, Portlaoise,
Co Laois
Dublin:
Tallaght
Michael Finlay
Dean Byrne
Clondalkin
Patrick Brennan
Donard
John Troy
Bluebell
Sean Connolly
Ballymun
Stephen Hendrick
East Wall
Pierce Moran
Rush Co Dublin
John McGrail
Monaghan:
Cormack Fitzpatrick
Cork:
Tony Carroll
Brian Walsh
Derry:
Kevin Devlan
Maghaberry
Cogs Prisoners E2, Portlaoise Co
Laois:
Charles Anthony Deery
Garret Mulley
Paddy MacDonagh
Seamus McGran

Future Events Support Irish Republican POWs

Sat 3rd September 11:00 Picket of Downing Street. Free Tony Taylor and the Craigavon 2
Sat 24rd September 11:00 Picket of Downing Street. Free Tony Taylor and the Craigavon 2
Sat 8th October 15:00 The Calthorpe Arms London WC1X 8JR Public Meeting: Free Tony Taylor and the
Craigavon 2
More information: Facebook London Supporters of Tony Taylor

A Tale of Three Theresas

On the left is a photo from the
picket of Theresa Villiers' MP
surgery in July calling for the
release of TonyTaylor.
The comrade in the centre of
the picture is Theresa Gavin, a
Republican from Leitrim who
is still going strong at the age
of 86.
We are glad to have our
Theresa the British can keep
Theresa Villiers and Theresa
May.
They have nothing in their whole imperial arsenal that can break the

spirit of one Irishman who doesnt want to be broken - Bobby Sands