Gaza protest Belfast.

Pictures from today's event in Belfast.

Mairead Corrigan/Maguire writes on being in the aid flotila for the ATN.

Article below the fold. Click on image to enlarge.

Restore political status...?

A poster advertising yesterdays' protest at Maghaberry prison.

Brendan Hughes tells of the events leading up to the hunger strike.

History of republican struggle memorial used and abused

Unveiled by Gerry Adams MP on May 2nd 2010.

Vague threats and obstacles put in way of Eamonn McCann in Derry.

Northern Ireland, not a modern sophisticated society?

Dysfunctional assembly and irrational people?

Martin McGuinness wouldn't take Hague too seriously, but Fred Cobain perhaps has the right attitude

What about the electorate - stupid?

The Andersonstown News this week is full of victory for the Sinn Fein camp, and while their is honour in them holding true to their ideals, one has to wonder where the electorate features in all of this. This isn't about being the biggest party, nor is it about getting Martin McGuinness into the first minister position, this is about how to serve the electorate. No where in any write up in the Andersonstown news do I see the word 'cuts', and how Sinn Fein as an abstentionist party will deal with them. It's about victory, and that is honourable, but to concentrate on victory, or who is the biggest boy in the playground is to miss the point entirely.

Public meeting to organise campaign against the public assemblies bill.

Scan of flier under the fold.

Doves released to remember each person who died on hungerstrike.

Video of doves being released in Dunville Park, Falls road, to commerate the Hunger strikers throughout the history of republican struggle, under the fold.

'Good policing arrangements should see us through'

Yesterdays hungerstrike march in Belfast passed off relatively peacefully, and according to the Irish News from today the people behind the parade and the unionist community spokesperson were not seeking conflict with each other, but each had a point to make.

On the side of the community they were interested in highlighting what they see as double standards from republicans over the parades issue. On the side of the marchers , they merely wanted to commerate their dead. 

Brown Square residents object to the parade.

The residents of Brown Square protested today as the parade passed. There wasn't many of them, but it did look strange that the protest at parades issue was on the  other foot.

There weren't many protesters there, around two dozen, and they did not come anywhere near the marchers, there was enough police about to ensure the two sides did not come into immediate contact with each other, and although the atmosphere was tense the march passed the disputed part of the route without any major  incidents at all.

Not a shinner about the place.

I was at the united independent hungerstrike commeration through Belfast today, and there wasn't a shinner about the place, which is really something. Their absence was particularly noticeable in west Belfast where even the gates into Dunville park were blocked by a large barrier. The side gates were all open and the Falls road had hardly anyone to greet the marchers as they came up it. No crowds were waiting despite the march being well advertised through the Irish News.