Downing Street picket goes ahead
Within hours of British Prime Minister Tony Blair urging the
British people to make ``Princess Diana's legacy a better, more
compassionate Britain'', a picket calling for the immediate
release of all Irish Political Prisoners was held in Downing
Street organised by Fuascailt, a campaign group based in London.
Demanding the immediate transfer of Irish prisoners to jails
closer to their families, Fuascailt said ``the treatment and
continued detention of Irish Political Prisoners in jails in
England is an issue which calls for an immediate compassionate
response from the British authorities.'' The release of Irish POWs
would, the group said, provide a confidence building measure to
underpin the IRA ceasefire. Fuascailt continued, ``in any
resolution to a conflict the first issue to be dealt with is the
release of prisoners. There should be phased release of Irish
Political Prisoners both here in England and in the occupied Six
Counties to show that the British government is fully behind this
peace process and is interested in a lasting peace settlement.''