Brother of Hunger Striker condemns criminalisation of Celtic fans
This is the statement of Gerard Lynch (brother of INLA hunger striker Kevin Lynch) to a Fans Against Criminalisation (FAC) meeting a couple of years ago, which is worth repeating in the light of the release of the Roll of Honour in support of FAC and the reappearance of the Green Brigade at Celtic Park today:
I would like to thank the organisers for inviting me to speak at today’s event. I sincerely apologise that due to circumstances beyond my control I could not attend. However, I would like to stress that the Lynch family fully support the campaign against the new legislation.
31 years ago my brother Kevin was preparing to go on hunger strike, a strike that would ultimately lead to his and 9 of his comrades deaths. They died as a direct result of the British government’s policy of trying to criminalise the republican struggle for Irish freedom. Maggie Thatcher failed to criminalise our struggle and Alex Salmond will ultimately fail to criminalise Celtic fans for singing songs remembering that struggle. I should point out that I am a Celtic supporter and have traveled to Celtic Park on many occasions. On a recent trip to Parkhead, I was informed about this new legislation which a lot of supporters feel is aimed at the Irish in Scotland. I was also recently told of fans being arrested under the new legislation for singing the Roll of Honour, a song which commemorates my brother and his comrades.
Songs like this do not glorify armed struggle, nor do they incite people to take part in armed struggle, nor do they glorify any death as a result of armed struggle. These songs simply remember brave men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice for Irish freedom.
It is ironic that it is not an offence in Ireland or indeed any other country. Ireland has moved on now but never forgets her past. I would appeal to the Scottish government to allow the Irish in Scotland to remember the past without trying to criminalise them. In life they tried to criminalise the hunger strikers, they failed. In death they are trying to criminalise them and people singing songs to remember them, they will fail again!
Gerard Lynch.
