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Hub AI
Blanket protest AI simulator
(@Blanket protest_simulator)
Hub AI
Blanket protest AI simulator
(@Blanket protest_simulator)
Blanket protest
The blanket protest was part of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners held in the Maze prison (also known as "Long Kesh") in Northern Ireland. The republican prisoners' status as political prisoners, known as Special Category Status, had begun to be phased out in 1976. Among other things, this meant that they would now be required to wear prison uniforms like ordinary convicts. The prisoners refused to accept the administrative designation of ordinary criminals, and also to wear the prison uniform.
In 1917, a form of blanket protest was carried out by a single Irish Republican internee, Padraic Fleming in Maryborough (now Portlaoise Prison). Fleming was refused treatment as a political prisoner and went on hunger strike. There was considerable public outrage over the earlier death (by forced feeding) of Thomas Ashe and Fleming was released in November 1917. Fleming was rearrested in May 1918 and refused to wear prison uniforms which resulted in him being left naked and locked in his cell and (because he destroyed his cell) was restrained with a straight jacket. Fleming went on several long hunger strikes and finally was granted political prisoner status and transferred to Mountjoy Prison. Fleming escaped the prison with 19 others on 29 March 1919.
In 1920 several hunger strikes (Mountjoy and Cork) were conducted by Irish Republicans demanding political status, resulting in two deaths from starvation. Thousands of prisoners participated in the 1923 Irish hunger strikes, resulting in several deaths.
In mid-June 1943 a blanket protest was carried out by Irish Republican prisoners in Crumlin Road Gaol when 22 prisoners went on a "strip strike' for political status. Each morning every article (except a towel) was removed from the cells and the prisoners were left to sit on the floor until nighttime, when the bedding was returned.
IRA man Seán McCaughey died on hunger strike in Portlaoise Prison on 11 May, 1946. Refusing to wear prisoner clothes and demanding political status, McCaughey wore a blanket in solitary confinement for nearly five years. During the 20th century a total of 22 Irish Republicans died on hunger strike while demanding political status.
Convicted paramilitary prisoners were treated as ordinary criminals until July 1972, when Special Category Status was introduced following a hunger strike by 40 IRA prisoners led by the veteran republican Billy McKee. Special Category, or political, status meant prisoners were treated very much like prisoners of war; for example, they did not have to wear prison uniforms or do prison work. In 1976, as part of the policy of "criminalisation", the British Government brought an end to Special Category Status for paramilitary prisoners in Northern Ireland. The policy was not introduced for existing prisoners, but for those convicted after 1 March 1976.
The end to Special Category Status was a serious threat to the authority which the paramilitary leaderships inside prison had been able to exercise over their own men, as well as being a propaganda blow. The imminent withdrawal of Special Category Status caused relations between the prisoners and prison officers to deteriorate, and in early 1976 the IRA leaders in prison sent word to the IRA Army Council asking them to begin assassinating prison officers, stating "we are prepared to die for political status. Those who try to take it away from us must be fully prepared to pay the same price". Outside the prison the IRA responded by shooting prison officer Patrick Dillon in April 1976, the first of nineteen prison officers to be killed during the five-year protest.
The blanket protest began on 14 September 1976 when newly convicted prisoner Kieran Nugent refused to wear prison uniform. Nugent had previously been interned in the compounds of Long Kesh during 1975, but was arrested in May 1976 and received a three-year sentence after being convicted of possessing weapons and hijacking a car. In 1985, Nugent gave an interview describing his arrival at the newly constructed H-Blocks at the prison complex:
Blanket protest
The blanket protest was part of a five-year protest during the Troubles by Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA) and Irish National Liberation Army (INLA) prisoners held in the Maze prison (also known as "Long Kesh") in Northern Ireland. The republican prisoners' status as political prisoners, known as Special Category Status, had begun to be phased out in 1976. Among other things, this meant that they would now be required to wear prison uniforms like ordinary convicts. The prisoners refused to accept the administrative designation of ordinary criminals, and also to wear the prison uniform.
In 1917, a form of blanket protest was carried out by a single Irish Republican internee, Padraic Fleming in Maryborough (now Portlaoise Prison). Fleming was refused treatment as a political prisoner and went on hunger strike. There was considerable public outrage over the earlier death (by forced feeding) of Thomas Ashe and Fleming was released in November 1917. Fleming was rearrested in May 1918 and refused to wear prison uniforms which resulted in him being left naked and locked in his cell and (because he destroyed his cell) was restrained with a straight jacket. Fleming went on several long hunger strikes and finally was granted political prisoner status and transferred to Mountjoy Prison. Fleming escaped the prison with 19 others on 29 March 1919.
In 1920 several hunger strikes (Mountjoy and Cork) were conducted by Irish Republicans demanding political status, resulting in two deaths from starvation. Thousands of prisoners participated in the 1923 Irish hunger strikes, resulting in several deaths.
In mid-June 1943 a blanket protest was carried out by Irish Republican prisoners in Crumlin Road Gaol when 22 prisoners went on a "strip strike' for political status. Each morning every article (except a towel) was removed from the cells and the prisoners were left to sit on the floor until nighttime, when the bedding was returned.
IRA man Seán McCaughey died on hunger strike in Portlaoise Prison on 11 May, 1946. Refusing to wear prisoner clothes and demanding political status, McCaughey wore a blanket in solitary confinement for nearly five years. During the 20th century a total of 22 Irish Republicans died on hunger strike while demanding political status.
Convicted paramilitary prisoners were treated as ordinary criminals until July 1972, when Special Category Status was introduced following a hunger strike by 40 IRA prisoners led by the veteran republican Billy McKee. Special Category, or political, status meant prisoners were treated very much like prisoners of war; for example, they did not have to wear prison uniforms or do prison work. In 1976, as part of the policy of "criminalisation", the British Government brought an end to Special Category Status for paramilitary prisoners in Northern Ireland. The policy was not introduced for existing prisoners, but for those convicted after 1 March 1976.
The end to Special Category Status was a serious threat to the authority which the paramilitary leaderships inside prison had been able to exercise over their own men, as well as being a propaganda blow. The imminent withdrawal of Special Category Status caused relations between the prisoners and prison officers to deteriorate, and in early 1976 the IRA leaders in prison sent word to the IRA Army Council asking them to begin assassinating prison officers, stating "we are prepared to die for political status. Those who try to take it away from us must be fully prepared to pay the same price". Outside the prison the IRA responded by shooting prison officer Patrick Dillon in April 1976, the first of nineteen prison officers to be killed during the five-year protest.
The blanket protest began on 14 September 1976 when newly convicted prisoner Kieran Nugent refused to wear prison uniform. Nugent had previously been interned in the compounds of Long Kesh during 1975, but was arrested in May 1976 and received a three-year sentence after being convicted of possessing weapons and hijacking a car. In 1985, Nugent gave an interview describing his arrival at the newly constructed H-Blocks at the prison complex: