Friends Of Colin Duffy

"A Victim Of State Persecution"

Home     About Us     1990     1993     1997     2009     28 Day Detention     Maghaberry     Contact Us     Press releases     Radio Interviews     Video     Archives      
Public Meeting Goes Ahead
 

 

Despite the shameful attempt by Craigavon Council to prevent the Duffy family from holding a public meeting in their local community centre, the meeting went ahead.  The family took the decision to hold the meeting outside the community centre after Craigavon Council banned the family from using the hall.

 

Colin's brother Damian spoke about the council's decision:

 

"The arrangements were all in place.  As far as the family were concerned, there wasn't a problem with the family using the community centre.  Craigavon council had taken the booking and as far as we were concerned everything was sorted."

 

Damian continued:

 

"It wasn't until the day of the meeting that we learnt of the council's u-turn.  We view this decision as a disgraceful one.  However, we will not be silenced and will continue to highlight the injustice of Colin's imprisonment."

 

 

 

 


The meeting took place outside the local community centre.  Tony Catney from RNU opened the meeting by thanking all those who had attended, especially those who had travelled from other parts of the Six Counties.  Tony applauded the family's decision to go ahead with the meeting despite being locked out of their local community centre by Craigavon council at the behest of the DUP. 
 
The next speaker took up the theme:  Breandán Mac Cionnaith, who for years has been to the forefront in exposing unionist bigotry in Craigavon council, lambasted Craigavon council's decision to refuse the Duffy family access to their local community centre. 
 
Breandán MacCionnaith hit out at what he called an "abhorrent decision".

He said: "This shows the long history of discrimination that Craigavon Council has mounted against the Catholic and nationalist community in this whole area still continues today with the closure of this community centre.

"I would point out that it is not just closed against the Duffy family, it has been closed against every man, woman and child in this estate because other activities planned here tonight were cancelled at short notice."

He said 40 years after the protests for civil rights "we are back at square one protesting outside buildings which have been closed arbitrarily by some jumped up unionist dictator".
 
 
 


 

Colin's daughter Caitríona outlined the family's decision regarding the European election on 4th June. 

 

"We have fully explored, in detail, with those from whom we sought counsel and advice, all the logistics involved in a mounting an effective campaign across the Six Counties"

 

"In the end, we have come to a very simple conclusion – that for a family-based campaign which is in its infancy, even with the best will in world, and in the very limited four week window available to us, we would not be able to mount the effective, well co-ordinated and well-resourced campaign required to do justice both to my dad, Colin, and to all those who have pledged our family their full support."

 

Caitríona concluded: 

 

"While this decision by our family will come as a disappointment to many of those who have supported us, it will no doubt be viewed with relief in certain other quarters. Unlike those political parties who fully support the very police force which has imprisoned my dad, our family does not have luxury of being in receipt of hundreds of thousands of pounds from the British government to help finance an effective election campaign."

 

 

Click the link below to see the full text of Caitríona's statement.

 

 

Caitrona's statement 6th May


Colin's brother Paul then proceeded to outline the direction the campaign would take:  He stated that the campaign committee had "ordered an initial print-run of ten thousand copies of a four page leaflet which set out the background to Colin's present imprisonment and the history of his persecution by state forces.", he went on to say that they expected this to increase to fifty thousand over the coming weeks.
 
The second part of the family's campaign plan was then mentioned.  Paul said: "this weekend, Colin’s eldest daughter, Caitríona, is mounting a token 48 hour fast to highlight the injustice of her father’s imprisonment. During that 48 hour period, Caitríona and other family members will hold protest vigils at various locations throughout the Six Counties.  At each location, copies of the campaign leaflet will be distributed to members of the public by our supporters."
 
The third part of the plan involved the family "formally writing to each of those candidates in the EU election who will be seeking votes from within the nationalist and republican community, asking them to formally and fully endorse our campaign for Colin’s immediate and unconditional release and to state their unequivocal opposition to prolonged detentions. We will advise our supporters not to vote for any candidates who refuse to publicly endorse, without equivocation, our family’s campaign."
 
Paul then added the fourth part of the campaign plan which would be to formally write to all councillors who represent nationalist and republican communities across the North asking them to support the family’s campaign and to support the following motion in each one of their councils.

This council fully shares the concerns expressed by the family of Colin Duffy that his arrest and present imprisonment is unjust;

This council views Colin Duffy’s arrest and imprisonment to be part of a continuing and extensive campaign of persecution by British state forces which has previously included the use of murder, proven collusion between those same forces with unionist death-squads and the proven use by state forces of fabricated false evidence against Colin Duffy;

This council calls for Colin Duffy’s immediate and unconditional release; and,

This council condemns the use of legislation which permits the use of prolonged detention for periods of up to 28 and which is the most draconian of its type anywhere in the EU and other western democracies.

In reference to the fifth part of the campaign plan Paul stated:  "our family will be pro-actively approaching, domestically in Ireland as well as internationally, all human rights and civil liberties organisations as well as legal representative bodies and individuals known for their defence of human and civil rights."
 
Paul concluded the outline of the campaign plan by saying that the family would "be holding a rolling series of public meetings across the North to explain the background to Colin’s case; to call for the end to prolonged detentions for periods of up to , 28 days and to establish support groups in each of those areas where these meetings will be held in order to take forward our campaign.
 
Click the link below to see the full text of Paul's statement.
 
 
 
Colin's mother Cera finished of the meeting by calling on all those present to assist the family in their campaign.  She went on to ask all who attended to give support to others who have been wrongly and unjustly imprisoned by the British state.  Cera continued by refering to recent arrests and detentions of the Islamic community in Britain: 

 

"One has only to look at the recent high-profile cases involving members of the Islamic community in Britain. Like Colin, they were arrested in a blaze of publicity. Like Colin, they were tried and convicted in the media. Yet those cases were proven to have no evidential basis whatsoever, but were purely politically motivated arrests. That has proven to be the case on previous occasions when Colin was arrested and imprisoned in 1993 and 1997. We firmly believe that the same will again be proven to be the case in relation to his present imprisonment."

 

Click the link below to see the full text of Cera's statement.

 

 Cera's Statement 6th May