Back To The Polls

Voters go back to the polls for a UK general election on June 8th. Election materials for the Stormont elections are still visible, such as this Gerry Kelly placard in the Sınn Féın offices in Ardoyne, defaced with a Saoradh ‘quislings’ poster, also from the last Stormont election. John Finucane, rather than Kelly, is the Sınn Féın candidate for the general election this time (Irish News).

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Free Marwan Barghouti

Palestinian leader and secretary-general of Fatah during the 90s, Marwan Barghouti joined the Second Intifada (2000) and was arrested by Israeli forces in 2002 and sentenced to five life sentences for attacks by al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades. Barghouti laid out the rationale for the current hunger strike of 1,000 prisoners in a New York Times op-ed. He was reportedly caught eating in May.

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Child Soldiers

Seán Ó Rıordan was aged 13 when “killed in action by British crown forces” on Cawnpore Street on 23rd March 1972 (Sutton) and he is buried in Milltown cemetery. The 1977 Protocol I of the Geneva Convention would later prohibit conscription of children younger than 15 but allow for their voluntary participation. It is thus notable that this new board to “Fıann [sic] Seán Ó Rıordan” was “erected by the family”.

Ascaıll Ard Na bhFeá/Beechmount Avenue, west Belfast.

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Fight For Your Rights

The UK general election takes place Thursday week (June 8th). Here are two Sınn Féın boards, both at the junction of the Falls and Glen Roads (site of the former Andersonstown police station), the first featuring the image of Michelle O’Neill and exhorting people to “register to vote now!” (Claragh chun vótáıl anoıs) and the second a quote from Gerry Adams’s oration at the graveside of Martin McGuinness: “If you want freedom, go out and take it. Organise. Mobilise. Unite for rights” (Más saoırse atá uaıt, gabh amach agus beır greım uırthı. Eagraıgh, gríosaıgh, troıd ar son do chearta.) A copy of Latuff’s Ireland-Palestine hunger-striker solidarity cartoon (which he also painted as a mural in Northumberland St) has been added to Michelle’s lapel.

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