Blind Indifference

national | crime and justice | news report Thursday October 18, 2007 14:26 by Seán Ryan

Hunger striker outside Dáil will go on a thirst strike from Monday next.

Minsterial Avoidance

Yesterday was the 22nd day of Peter Preston’s hunger strike.

On Monday last, Peter stopped taking sugar in his tea too. No more salts either. This was due to the fact that on Friday of last week, the Minister for Justice replied to a Parliamentary Question posed by Finian McGrath. The answer has shown that once again the Government will focus on anything other than that which is asked of it. The Minister’s reply focuses exclusively on the criminal case that resulted from the assault on Peter’s daughter, leaving her face a bloody mess and scarred for life. Peter has repeatedly stated - and consistently so - that his protest has got nothing whatsoever to do with the criminal case. Peter even outlined this to Mr. McDowell last year when he met with him, some two months into a hunger strike. The former minister had insisted too on focussing on this criminal case on each occasion he wrote or spoke about the matter. Peter put Mr. McDowell straight when he finally met with him and was sure that the Government and he were reading from the same page from that point.

The minister’s answer on Friday cannot have been a mistake or a misunderstanding on his part, he even refers to the meeting that Peter had with Mr. McDowell the previous year.

This ignorant response, that spells out that the minister will totally ignore the man on hunger strike outside the Dáil, has devastated Peter and set him on a rapid course to self-destruction. From Monday next, Peter will commence a thirst strike.

Peter no longer even has a tent. On Thursday last, the Gardaí ordered him to remove it.

Once the thirst strike begins, Peter says that he will sleep outside the Dáil in a sleeping bag, wrapped in plastic and that he will remain there until his death.

I recorded an audio interview with Peter yesterday which I’m including with this article; it goes into much more detail. Please forgive the fact that I’m ignorant of the fact that yesterday was Wednesday and not Tuesday. I remained in my ignorance until Peter corrected me during the interview - sorry for any confusion caused. Good thing, that between the two of us, that one of us knew what day it was.

I estimate that, unless the Minister for Justice gets up off his abundant arse and at least looks at what’s been asked of him (whether he decides in Peter’s favour or not is quite another thing), that it’ll be my unenviable job to report on Peter’s death around this time next week.

Article from the first day of Peter's hunger strike - Starving Outside the Dáil:- http://www.indymedia.ie/article/84406

Interview with Peter
Interview with Peter 13.43 Mb