Irish Republican Socialist Partys Dublin Secretary John Roche, reacting to the arrest of party colleague Tommy Kelly, has condemned his arrest and the recent spate of politically motivated raids in Dublin. Mr Roche was speaking after Tommy Kelly was released following his arrest as part of the state’s response to the protest last month in which Joan Burton was delayed for a number of hours.
Mr Roche reacting to the news of the arrests said, “Twenty four people, including IRSP member Tommy Kelly, were arrested during the past week in a series of politically motivated raids which some have likened to the actions of the Gardai’s so-called ‘Heavy Gang’ of the 1970s. The nature of the arrests and the fact that those opposed to the introduction of unfair and unjust water charges were targeted clearly shows the political nature of the operation. Republican Socialists are no strangers to political policing and politically motivated internment we have encountered it since the formation of the Republican Socialist Movement in 1974. Its a sign of weakness it means they are scared of what you represent and thats a good thing, they should be scared.”
He continued, “In reality these arrests were nothing to do with the protest which affected Joan Burton. They were in fact the response of a desperate state which is terrified of losing control over the people. They were an ill-judged attempt at intimidation and as such will lead to failure. The fact remains that those who stand with the marginalised and poor were targeted for special attention by armed and aggressive representatives of the state during early morning raids. Two children were among those who were subject to the actions of the police state during that operation in what was clearly an attempt to silence opposition to water charges within working class communities who have begun to.”
He went on, “These arrests and associated intimidation of anti-austerity activists will not succeed in breaking the will of the people as they were designed to do. The Irish working class have had enough of paying for the extravagances of those who wilfully gambled away the nation’s resources and finances. We stand with the people and will continue to act in solidarity with those under economic attack from the state.”
