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Gerry Adams’ arrest: the real issues

5th May 2014

Gerry Adams’ arrest: the real issues

Letter to ‘Guardian’ on May 5th from John McDonnell and others

The victims and families who have lost loved ones and suffered during the course of the conflict in Northern Ireland have every right to seek truth and justice. Unfortunately, the current investigations into past crimes are partial, and investigations into murders committed by state forces are sadly lacking. The political nature of some policing in Northern Ireland has been made clear both by the arrest of Sinn Fein leader, Gerry Adams, and by the statement by the secretary of state, Theresa Villiers, last week that there would be no review of the cases of the 11 civilians who died during British army operations in Ballymurphy in 1971.

We call for an end to the politically motivated attacks upon Gerry Adams, which serve only to undermine the peace process. He has been one of the key figures in driving forward the peace process, resolving the conflict in the north and positively transforming the situation in Ireland. He has also led Sinn Féin as a party that is opposing austerity and inequality, and is seeing rising political support in the polls.

We share strong concerns about the motivation behind the timing of recent events, which can only serve the interests of those who oppose both the peace process and Sinn Féin’s political advances. We call upon the British and Irish governments and all political parties to commit to the ending of political policing and to positively engage in advancing the peace process.

Diane Abbott MP, Jeremy Corbyn MP, John McDonnell MP, Ken Livingstone, Kate Hudson national secretary, Left Unity, Ken Loach film director, Adrian Dunbar actor, Victoria Brittain writer, Professor Roy Greenslade journalist, Andrew Burgin Coalition of Resistance, Lindsey German writer and anti-war campaigner, Salma Yaqoob former Birmingham City councillor, John Rees writer and broadcaster

Background

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