The Network: Civil Rights Martyrs

Showing posts with label Civil Rights Martyrs. Show all posts

Thursday, 9 August 2012

Martyrdom in Russia : the Butovo massacres and the Pussy Riot trial.

At left is a map of mass graves at Butovo, Russia.

At this stage, even those of us who are not linked into the pop music scene will have heard of the Pussy Riot trial in Russia. There has been much said about what is happening in Putin's Russia, the place of the Russian Orthodox Church in the new Russia, it's relationship with Putin and what this might mean in connection with the trial and sentencing of Pussy Riot's members.

Wikipedia says this:

The three detained members of Pussy Riot are recognized as political prisoners by the Union of Solidarity with Political Prisoners (SPP).^[14] Amnesty International named them prisoners of conscience due to “the severity of the response of the Russian authorities”.^[15]

Perhaps they are prisoners of conscience. Perhaps not. But before anyone actually names them martyrs for a cause, I thought I would draw attention to what real Russian martyrs are like - ones who didn't remain prisoners of conscience for very long at all.

Steve Hayes is my oldest internet Friend. We have been in touch via the intertubes since the last century! Steve lives in South Africa, a place of martyrdom and prisoners of conscience, and is a Deacon in the Serbian Orthodox Church. He has just published this sad but interesting post. Indeed, we should remember the Butovo massacres .... lest we forget and lest we forget, as Russia changes its face to the world once again, the extent to which Mother Russia can persecute its own.

Wednesday, 25 August 2010

BOB KATTER IS AGAINST THE INTERVENTION IN THE LIVES OF ABORIGINAL PEOPLE IN THE NORTHERN TERRITORY

I have received this email to-day from Alex from the Melbourne Anti-Intervention Collective.

Alex is apologetic that his missive is not more extensively researched and says

that this represents his'preliminary investigations' into Bob Katter

and his views on the NT Intervention.

~~~~~

So, it appears that Bob Katter is actually against the NT Intervention.

Historically, he is 'pro self-determination' in a self-responsibility kinda way. He is also against privatisation in regional areas, for market failure purposes. These two ideologies clash to some extent i.e. how can you take control of your own life, if you are starved of basic services?

Katter is regarded as being a progressive advocate when he was Aboriginal Affairs minister. At a press conference yesterday, Katter told reporters to find the two books in which he is mentioned in the university reading guides from when he was Aboriginal Affairs Minister in Queensland in the 80s.

Basically, he is saying that he is prepared to fight for his ideas.

What does this all mean? Hard to say.

Two of the Independents are now on record as being against the Intervention (I'd guess that Wilkie is likely to be against it too).

It will only matter if we can get the NT Intervention onto the national agenda as a racist policy that needs to be stopped NOW. Which is why continuing the grassroots activism is the most useful thing we can do.

~~~~

http://news.sbs.com.au/livingblack/new_territory_556974

And joining me now from Cairns is the Federal MP for Kennedy, Bob Katter.

Mural by Bogside Artists

depicting Bishop Edward Daly

waving a white handkerchief

whilst trying to escort

the mortally wounded Jackie Duddy to safety.

From here

First, dear Networkes, allow Miss Eagle to declare her interest. I am a sixth generation Australian, part of a family - The Gores - who are believed to be the only family in Australia directly descended from someone on The Endeavour. While I may not be pure Celt, there is a substantial portion of Irish blood flowing through my veins.

I therefore note with interest, sadness, and remembrance the apology of the British Prime Minister for Bloody Sunday.

I know there are few nations in the world without dark stains with regard to race, religion, ethnicity. However, it is my own firm belief that the English - as a national entity - have never had a real and proper understanding of the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. In fact, the ethnic cleansing that has happened in the Celtic countries of the United Kingdom and the banning and delegitimisation of Celtic languages is proof of this.

I hope that the people of Northern Ireland can live in peace and make something of their own parliamentary democracy. However, it must be remembered that the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is an artificial and political boundary. It never should have been there. It remains to-day because of the will of the Unionists/Protestants of Northern Ireland and the United Kingdom's own perceived necessity for an Atlantic strategic presence. Sooner - and I hope sooner - rather than later, justice and natural geography must have its way, with a re-unification of Ireland.

In the meantime, we remember the unarmed dead of Bloody Sunday who merely wanted civil rights and were prepared to gather in support of those rights:

The dead

From here

Jackie Duddy (17). Shot in the chest in the car park of Rossville flats. Four witnesses stated Duddy was unarmed and running away from the paratroopers when he was killed. Three of them saw a soldier take deliberate aim at the youth as he ran.

From here

Patrick Doherty (31). Shot from behind whilst crawling to safety in the forecourt of Rossville flats. Doherty was photographed by French journalist Gilles Peress seconds before he died. Despite the testimony of "Soldier F" at the Widgery Tribunal, the photographs show he was unarmed.

From here

Bernard McGuigan (41). Shot in the back of the head when he went to help Patrick Doherty. He had been waving a white handkerchief at the soldiers to indicate his peaceful intentions.

From here

Hugh Gilmour (17). Shot in the chest whilst running away from the paratroopers on Rossville Street. A photograph taken seconds after Gilmour was hit corroborated witness reports that he was unarmed.

From here

Kevin McElhinney (17). Shot from behind whilst crawling to safety at the front entrance of the Rossville Flats. Two witnesses stated McElhinney was unarmed.

From here

Michael Kelly (17). Shot in the stomach whilst standing near the rubble barricade in front of Rossville Flats. Widgery accepted Kelly was unarmed.

From here

John Young (17). Shot in the head whilst standing at the rubble barricade. Two witnesses stated Young was unarmed.

From here

William Nash (19). Shot in the chest near the barricade. Witnesses stated Nash was unarmed and going to the aid of another when killed.

From here

Michael McDaid (20). Shot in the face at the barricade whilst walking away from the paratroopers. The trajectory of the bullet indicated he was killed by soldiers positioned on the Derry Walls.

From here

James Wray (22). Wounded and then shot again at close range whilst lying on the ground. Witnesses who were not called to the Widgery Tribunal stated that Wray was calling that he was unable to move his legs before he was shot the second time.

From here

Gerald Donaghy (17). Shot in the stomach whilst running to safety between Glenfada Park and Abbey Park. Donaghy was brought to a nearby house by bystanders where he was examined by a doctor. His pockets were turned out in an effort to identify him. A later Royal Ulster Constabulary photograph of Donaghy's corpse showed nail bombs in his pockets. Neither those who searched his pockets in the house nor the British army medical officer (Soldier 138) who pronounced his death shortly afterward say they saw any bombs. Donaghy had been a member of Fianna Éireann, an IRA-linked Republican youth movement.

From here

Gerald McKinney (35). Shot just after Gerald Donaghy. Witnesses stated that McKinney had been running behind Donaghy, and he stopped and held up his arms, shouting "Don't shoot," when he saw Donaghy fall. He was then shot in the chest.

From here

William McKinney (26). Shot from behind as he attempted to aid Gerald McKinney (no relation). He had left cover to try to help the older man.

John Johnston (59). Shot on William Street 15 minutes before the rest of the shooting started. Johnson died of his wounds four months later, the only one not to die immediately or soon after being shot.

AND THE UPSHOT OF ALL THIS...........

Many, many more lives were lost as The Troubles arose
Many, many families left grieving, with lives wrecked.
British taxpayers dollars wasted on killing, maiming and terror
Headlines of that wonderful facility known as The Maze
Britain linked by Amnesty International to human rights abuse in Northern Ireland
The inquiry by Lord Saville into Bloody Sunday. Statistics below.