November 12 1974
The commercial offices of the Derry Journal newspaper were occupied for ninety minutes yesterday by members of Derry Women’s Action Committee, who also closed the main gates to the premises and refused to allow any person in or out, with the exception of members of the editorial staff.
The women said that the building had been taken over as one of a series of protests against “conditions and brutality in the concentration camps in Northern Ireland”.
In a statement, the women said they wished to inform the people of Derry that “in view of the savage treatment of prisoners in all British prisons in Ireland”, the Committee had been re-established and would stage a number of protests in the city.
The Derry Women’s Action Committee held a protest at the offices of the Derry Journal over the ongoing treatment of internees and prisoners.
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Provo “No” to Ceasefire Plea
Appeals made to the Provisional IRA for a ceasefire were rejected at the annual Commemoration ceremony at Edentubber, Co. Louth which was organised by Sinn Fein (Kevin Street) at the memorial to five men killed in a premature explosion in 1957.
Mr Jimmy Drumm, husband of Sinn Fein vice-president Mrs Marie Drumm said that he had been asked to reiterate that the fight goes on until basic demands are met or until the Republican movement considers the time opportune.
Provisional Sinn Fein did not demand a Bill of Rights from the British Government he said. The only demand we make is the right to be free. When Britain goes the Free State must go with them. How much longer, were the people going to put up with such little Napoleons as [Conor Cruise] O’Brien, [Garret] Fitzgerald, [Patrick] Cooney and [Liam] Cosgrave.
The sympathy they got from that quarter regarding conditions at Long Kesh or the shooting of Gerry Coney was crocodile tears.
Mr Drumm said they did not want freedom won at the cost of so many lives to be handed over to professional politicians.
A decade of the Rosary was recited by Fr Piaras O’Duill OFM. Wreaths were laid on behalf of the Republican movement and the Last Post was sounded.
In rejecting calls for an IRA ceasefire, Sinn Féin’s Jimmy Drumm declared the fight would continue until Ireland was free of Britain and of the twenty-six county establishment.
