10 April 1997 Edition
Scottish support for McAliskey
Scottish solidarity activists last week highlighted the case of Roisin McAliskey across central Scotland. On Friday 4 April, the German consulate in Edinburgh and the Lufthansa office in Glasgow were picketed by supporters of the Roisin McAliskey Justice Group.
The protesters, who turned out in the pouring rain, handed out thousands of leaflets calling on the Scottish public to raise her case with their MP, the German Embassy and the British Home Office.
A letter of protest was handed in to the German consulate in Edinburgh by two of the protesters who were assured by the consulate official that their concerns would be passed on.
In Glasgow, the office manager at Lufthansa was asked to contact their Head Office in Germany and inform them that there would be regular pickets until this issue is resolved.
The placard-carrying protesters got a good response from the public, many of whom stopped to ask for more information about Roisin's case. The picket, which was supported by a number of groups including Saoirse (Scotland), the James Connolly Society, the Irish-Scottish Bands Association, the Scottish Socialist Alliance and local women's groups will be repeated at a future date. The organisers also plan to highlight the case at next month's May Day parades in Scotland.
The campaign to free Roisín McAliskey was a feature of the St Patrick's Day parade in Auckland, New Zealand.
A float was entered in the parade by Information on Ireland but it was seized by police who said it constituted a breach of the peace. However IoI and their supporters took part in the parade on foot, carrying banners and handing out leaflets.
The protesters, who turned out in the pouring rain, handed out thousands of leaflets calling on the Scottish public to raise her case with their MP, the German Embassy and the British Home Office.
A letter of protest was handed in to the German consulate in Edinburgh by two of the protesters who were assured by the consulate official that their concerns would be passed on.
In Glasgow, the office manager at Lufthansa was asked to contact their Head Office in Germany and inform them that there would be regular pickets until this issue is resolved.
The placard-carrying protesters got a good response from the public, many of whom stopped to ask for more information about Roisin's case. The picket, which was supported by a number of groups including Saoirse (Scotland), the James Connolly Society, the Irish-Scottish Bands Association, the Scottish Socialist Alliance and local women's groups will be repeated at a future date. The organisers also plan to highlight the case at next month's May Day parades in Scotland.
The campaign to free Roisín McAliskey was a feature of the St Patrick's Day parade in Auckland, New Zealand.
A float was entered in the parade by Information on Ireland but it was seized by police who said it constituted a breach of the peace. However IoI and their supporters took part in the parade on foot, carrying banners and handing out leaflets.