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THERE ARE SECURITY ‘concerns’ that dissident republicans might seize on the 30th anniversary of the death of Bobby Sands to launch attacks today.
The Wall Street Journal notes that today’s commemorations to the death of the hunger striker coincide with local elections. Alistair MacDonald also writes that dissidents are now trying to raise funds abroad for their activities and have held private fundraisers in some US cities “even though they are explicitly banned from raising money in the US”.
Back at the start of April, The Australian also reported that security officials believed dissidents wanted to “step up terrorist activity” to coincide with both the Sands anniversary and the Northern Ireland Assembly elections. They reported a security source as saying:
Frankly, they could have picked a better day for an election.
Some commemorations have already passed off peacefully in Northern Ireland over last weekend. The Derry Journal reports that over 1,500 people took part in a rally on Sunday passing from Creggan to the H Block monument at Rossville Street in Derry city.
Danny Morrison, a former director of publicity for Sinn Fein, is speaking at an event in the Brampton Irish Centre in Canada on Saturday to mark the anniversary. He said that “the 1981 hunger strike was our 1916, generating emotion, anger, increased support for the IRA and ultimately leading to the electoral rise of Sinn Fein”. Morrison has written in today’s Guardian newspaper, recalling the conditions at Long Kesh and describing Bobby Sands as “a poet, a revolutionary, and – in the words of singer Christy Moore – the ‘People’s Own MP’”. Not all those writing in the comments section after his article agreed.
There are some events in the Republic of Ireland too, with a commemoration being held in Ballinasloe, Co Galway this evening, addressed by Eoghan McCormaic who was a friend of Bobby Sands and in Long Kesh during the hunger strike. Sands, then MP for Fermanagh/South Tyrone, died after 66 days on hunger strike in Long Kesh’s H-Block in protest at republican prisoners not being treated as political prisoners. He had been jailed for possession of a weapon after a fire bomb attack on a furniture shop in Belfast, says the BBC.
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My life will never be the same after reading this.
Can people PLEASE think of the children!
Just to hijack the top comment here, if there’s one takeaway from this, check out John Greene and his brother Hank.
What they have done in the past 10 years stands up as a shining example of how to use fame for good. Think Bono, but without coming across as obnoxious.
I have absolutely no understanding of what I just read.
Started reading it…gave up and went to comments to see if anyone else felt the same.
I get that Marty but I inferred I was reading about a prize ársehole.
Simples, guy rapes girl, films it, then go “hey, buy I’m a guy, what did you expect?”
When you get the first comment and haven’t a clue what to say
Let Waterford whispers say it for you:
“Journalism Graduate Lands dream job copying and pasting tweets.”
God forbid that an article doesn’t have anything in it to have a snark & rant about eh? That is truly haram and must be resisted at all costs, right? Cops it’s a comments section, there has to be hate here, it’s the law!
That video with the car alarm is amazeballs. The kids today, so talented. Does anybody know where I can get a lobotomy?
How is this news….
This guy is an idiot. Delighted VidCon threw him out, if he doesn’t respect women well then he shouldn’t be at such an event that would have 100s of girls at it
In this case bad guys don’t win and the good guys do
So the cops knew internal affairs was setting them up?
He looks and sounds like a brat
If he thinks couples do stuff like that all the time….he must have some pretty sick friends.
What a legend! Did you see what he did? He tapped something to the sound of an alarm in the background.
That’s pure class.
Ledge. Totes Ledge.
Did someone press the wrong button for this to leak on to the main news section. Put it back in the daily edge where it belongs.
I’v just come on here to say something.
I was told there would be cake.
There is no cake. The cake is a lie.
I’ve just come.
Today’s kids are shite
Why are you writing an article about this. how does this effect the Irish people. this is not news. if I wanted to hear about this I’d go on twitter. up your game journal. come on!
This is teaching my 16 yo daughter that no means no and people need to respect that, if they can’t then they are committing a crime not her. That make it relevant to everybody.
In other news WAR !
is this what all of our news is going to look like in 5 years time I wonder. jesus wept.
So glad I’m not a part of this world of morons & vine “celebrities. Just blocked Cian Twomey from appearing in my FB feed, so filters are all up to date.
I thought it was just me that didn’t like him.
He’s as annoying as it gets. Represents the idiotic selfie generation.
The only thing worse than seeing trivial news stories is seeing people bitching and moaning in the comments about why the publication isn’t publishing some “real news”; all the while free to simply click on something else.
No means no, but 100 no’s and 1 yes means yes.
I’m sure I’m not the only one who read that in an exaggerated Sean Connery voice ;)
I’m glad Im the age I am and don’t need to resort to using “Vine” to seek attention or popularity.
My eyes and brain hurt. I’m going back to bed after reading this garbage
Because the very excellent Hank Green stood up to it and sent an important message about consent. And consequences.
Eh, that should have been a reply to Alison Griffin.
He is 16, yes he was wrong what he did to his girlfriend, but how many other 16 year olds have acted like this. I think it’s messed up that he recorded it, but why is a spoilt brats actions headline news?
Everyone who’s commenting that this is pointless and that they didn’t understand what the article was about, nobody asked or forced you to read it.
Loud noises!!
He’s so hot right now.
I’d say it is his lips that have the huge following.
Another non story from the journal team. Why can’t you post articles of substance about real issues, not just regurgitated Twitter posts?
Because people click on the articles & read them. People like you.
So why are you even reading an article from the journal then? Beat it already & find some journalism that you’re not going to complain about. Simples!
Hahaha I can’t believe I’m seeing Onision on here. Too weird.
that’s 30 seconds of my life that I will never get back…
That’s what she said!
Burn!
If this was a gamergate incident, the comments would be all about why gamergaters are right (they’re not, of course). As it is, the only snark they could find was to the article writer itself. This article explained a hashtag that annoyed people today, I see its value as that.
I never even heard of this guy until now.
Does this not make people feel that they are wasting their lives away being stuck all day watching this?
have your say