anti-Agreement

RIP Alan Ryan

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Real IRA member Alan Ryan was killed in north Dublin on September 3rd and graffiti has appeared mourning his death, supposedly at the hands of “drug dealing scum”. For background, see Irish Times | An Sıonnach Fıonn.

These two pieces are both on walls around the tower blocks in the New Lodge.

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Our Queens

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Mixed reaction to the Diamond Jubilee visit of Queen Elizabeth II. Above, the remains of an RNU (Fb) poster which (in full) read “Send the Brit queen packing back to the depths of Hades – royal jubilee not welcome here, signed by: the army of unemployed.” and showing Elizabeth with half-human, half-skeleton face (reminiscent of a mural idea from 1989/1990 in Springhill and in Beechmount). (Full poster at Alamy.)

Below, “God save our queen” and “Fuck the queen” graffiti.

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Until All Are Free We Are All Imprisoned

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Here are three republican boards, framed – Belfast Brigade ONH, Cogús (POWs), 1981 hunger strikers – encouraging New Lodge residents to “Join the Republican Network For Uni[ty]” (web), above a Bobby Sands quote: “We all know the reason that we are being tortured – because we are political dissidents, POWs, and we won’t bend the knee or conform” (from Thoughts From The Shadows).

Duncairn Parade, New Lodge, north Belfast.

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Maghaberry Concentration Camp

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“End forced strip searches, end internment [at] Maghaberry concentration camp”. Republican prisoners are held in the Roe House at Maghaberry. Several republican prisoners (as many as five) are conducting a “dirty protest” in response to conditions and treatment, including integration with loyalist prisoners (Irish Echo | BBC). The green ribbon as an emblem goes back to the campaign after the ceasefire to release POWs — here is a mural from 1995.

International Wall, Divis Street, west Belfast

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Copyright © 2012 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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Cogús

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Cogús [conscience] is the POW-support organisation of the RNU (web). On the left is a blanketman, on the right is a contemporary POW being beaten by a prison guard in riot gear. “Make a difference – Join RNU – Be committed, stand as one – Implement 12th August Agreement – End strip searches – End controlled movement.”

Berwick Road, Ard Eoın.

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Copyright © 2011 Seosamh Mac Coılle
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The End Of An Illusion

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In the summer of 2011, both sides of the Flax St/Crumlin Rd interface were pasted with images of the view from the other side, a city scene on the Flax St side as though looking into Woodvale, a hilly scene on the Crumlin Rd as though looking up Flax Street. You can see the Crumlin Road side on Street View. What remains of the other side can be seen in the image above, along with IRPWA posters (see below) concerning “Maghaberry Concentration Camp”, calling “on Sinn Fein [sic] to publicly state that the interpretation of the August agreement of 2010 is the correct one … [and to] … call on their members and supporters to get behind the protesting POWs.”

Both the type of “MagHaberry” and the arrangement of the posters make the connection to the H Blocks of the 1970s and 80s.

See also: A Dead End

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