Rebel slips into rally

Press, 17 April 1979, Page 9

Rebel slips into rally

NZPA Belfast j Police and British troops j have been defied by the Irish rebel, Rory O'Brady, (who slipped across the bor-| jder for a rally com- 1 j memorating the 1916 Easter (rising in Dublin. ( He was a surprise speaker at the ceremony in Milltown Cemetery, where the annual gathering is held to commemorate the uprising that led to the creation of the Irish Republic. Mr O’Brady is vice presi-i dent of the Provisional Sinn Fein, the legal political! movement which acts as an umbrella for the illegal Irish! Republican Army. Under a 1976 exclusion order imposed for suspected terrorist' activities, he could be jailed for five years for being in I iNorthern Ireland. Addressing the crowd of I 2000 through a public-' address system, he said of, the present struggle against British rule, which began in 1963: “No phase of the struggle for Irish independence has gone on for so. long ”

“A new generation is setting the pace,” he said. “This is the greatest possible acquisition to our movement, and it also is the surest guarantee of victory." Mr O’Brady, who is 52, was spirited away by supporters immediately after his speech. As on past occasions when wanted terrorists have appeared at mass rallies, the police made no attempt to interrupt Mr O’Brady’s speech and arrest him. They would not comment on his appearance in the city. Security forces kept a low profile during the day and did not interfere with the

ceremonies. There were no I incidents at the parades, [which also took place in ArImagh and in Crossmaglen, 'close to the border partitionling this British province Ifrom the Irish Republic. | In Belfast, the two wings lof Sinn Fein marched. First came the Provisionals, then two hours later the Republican clubs, representing the official wing.

The Provisional I.R.A. is waging the armed struggle against British rule ani seeking to reunite Ireland. Sunday’s Belfast parades took place against state-; ments from the I.R.A. that it | is poised to take violence back on to the streets of Britain in the run-up to the May 3 General Election.

The messages, telexed; from the Dublin offices of the Sinn Fein, said it wouldi be a mistake for the BritishJ Government to think the[ IProvisional I.R.A. was a spent force.