Oration for Patsy O'Hara Commemoration

[Danielle Ni Dhighe <nidhighe@xxxxxxxx>]

Oration for Patsy O'Hara Commemoration

Comrades and friends, I would like to take this opportunity on behalf
of the Irish Republican Socialist Movement to welcome you all here
today on this the 21st anniversary of the death of socialist
revolutionary, Patsy O'Hara.

We come here today mindful that loyalists have put a threat on this
event but we say loud and clear that no amount of pro-British terror
will deflect us from remembering our comrade and carrying out our
duty as republican socialists.

We are here today not just to reflect on the life of Patsy O'Hara but
to look to the future with the political ideals that Patsy lived his
all too short life by. These were the ideals of a truly equal society
in which the working class are in control of the nation, not the
corrupt politicians currently in power or the multinational
corporations in whose pockets these politicians sit.

Comrades, think about it. Did Patsy and the others die in Long Kesh
because they wanted to wear a certain jumper or different colour
trousers? Of course not. Patsy and his comrades took their decisions
to go on the protest because of their solid belief in their politics
and to thwart the British attempt to criminalise their struggle, our
struggle.

The reality was that they were willing to lay down their lives in the
battle for ideas. In Patsy's case the idea of a thirty-two county
Workers Republic was paramount. We stand here today to take
inspiration from the personal sacrifice and the politics that Patsy
O'Hara espoused. We reaffirm that our ultimate objective has not
changed. In 1974 we were founded with the  objective of creating a
Socialist Republic. In 1981 Patsy died in the struggle for those
ideals. Those ideals did not die with Patsy.

Comrades, times have certainly changed since Patsy was active in the
streets of Derry. The political situation which moulded people like
Patsy has changed beyond all recognition. But some things stay the
same. It is ironic that the most volatile situation in the North
today outside North Belfast is in the prisons. There is a renewed
policy by Britain to criminalise the Irish revolutionary struggle.
They CANNOT win and they WILL NOT win!

Irish Republicans led by Bobby Sands and Patsy O'Hara refused to
accept the tag of criminal in 1981. Irish republicans today are faced
with a similar battle. In Maghaberry the authorities are determined
to tell the world that there are no political prisoners in the Six
Counties when the reality is we all know that there are.

They have created a powder keg and it seems as if those in charge
want confrontation in the prisons. They want republicans and
loyalists to be at each others throats. Attacks on republican
prisoners have been increasing. Segregation is a priority for these
prisoners and we demand that.

Have these fools learned nothing from the lessons of 1981? Republican
prisoners stood firm then and we know they will stand firm now.

Our thoughts are with them and their families in their ongoing
campaign as firmly as they were with Patsy and his comrades in 1981.
Our thoughts are also with the prisoners in Turkey who are on a
hunger strike which during the past two years has left scores dead.

Let today's republican prisoners take inspiration from our comrades
in Turkey and the sacrifice of 1981.

Let their politics sustain them and in the words of Patsy O'Hara:

"Let the fight go on!"

http://www.irsm.org/irsm.html
http://www.irsm.org/fallen/ohara/


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