The long-running extradition case against Seán Walsh – from the republic to the north – took another twist in March when the supreme court referred his case to the European Court Of Justice. Walsh is wanted on charges of New IRA membership, based on surveillance of meetings organised by MI5 agent Dennis McFadden (Herald). The point now at issue is whether a 2021 UK law on sentencing for those convicted of terrorism charges (pdf) – no early release is possible (gov.uk) – contravenes article seven of the European Convention On Human Rights.
Republicans also claim that he would be subject to maltreatment if extradited (RN).
A write-up of the arguments can be found in this Irish Times article from 2023, when the possibility of referral was first mooted by Walsh’s legal team.
The black shamrock in the centre of the wall pre-dates the Walsh graffiti – see Black Shamrock for its significance. Free Derry Corner has its own Visual History page.
A new painting of Amelia Earhart has been created by JEKS (ig), on the side of the Foyle building, North West Regional College, on Queen’s Quay. A number of sources claim without citation or measurement that it is the tallest piece of street art in the north – both the BBC and the Chamber Of Commerce use the passive “thought to be”. Its closest competitor would be the recent piece by Zabou on the Telegraph Building in Belfast – see Broken Promises.
The Foyle Building has six “levels” (NWRC) while the original Telegraph Building had four storeys (Archiseek). In addition to comparing images of the two paintings, you can also judge by comparing Street View images of the buildings: Derry vs Belfast.
Information about Earhart’s connection to the Maiden City can be found in the entries on the printed board (But What Do Dreams Know Of Boundaries?) and the mosaic (Flying Solo) to Earhart in Derry.
JEKS did eventually fill in the hair (and so cover over his instagram handle) on the lower portrait.
One of Lidl’s slogans (and a “corporate responsibility objective” of the company) is to work “For a better tomorrow”. The electoral-style placard above urges “Don’t vote Lidl” and alleges that the company is “funding genocide for a bleaker tomorrow” and that its “policy is to fund apartheid, occupation, genocide” – perhaps through selling Israeli-made goods – particularly wipes made by Lupilu (ig video | Fb video | Fb | Change.org) – and through its parent company Schwarz’s acquisition of an Israeli cyber-security company.
The placard in the final image targets Home Bargains. According to the News Letter, it agreed to pull Israeli goods from its shelves back in October. BDS Belfast alleges that such goods can still be found (ig | Fb). These signs are on the Falls/Andersonstown Road where both HB (in the Kennedy Centre) and Lidl (next door) have stores. The Kennedy Centre Sainsbury’s has also been the target of protest (CYM).
The source of the placards is perhaps BDSBelfast (ig).
The death-toll in Gaza now stands at more than 38,000 people, in addition to the 1,100 Israelis killed on October 7th (Al Jazeera). This graffiti singling out US President Joe Biden – and by extension America’s continued supply of weapons to Israel – is on the hoarding around the derelict Willowbank House, built in 1896 (Belfast Live).
“Israeli Genocide” (Israel represented by the Star Of David) – This Antrim Road (north Belfast) graffiti protests the on-going Israeli attacks on cities in the Gaza Strip. The death toll of Palestinians now stands at more than 37,000 people, with 60% of residences destroyed (Al Jazeera).
The image above shows the large IRPWA board (Republican Prisoners Still Exist!) being reinstated yesterday (June 21st) at the right-hand end of the International Wall on Divis Street. It was removed (on the 19th) in preparation for a new pro-Palestinian mural (BelTel); the IRPWA protested on-line (web) and it was reported that two men showed up at the house of the mural-painter and threatened to shoot him (BelTel); this led to calls from Sınn Féın for the threat to be withdrawn (Belfast Media). [Update, June 24th: the threat was withdrawn (Belfast Media)]
The IRPWA, reacting on the 20th to the publicity (web), set out its version of events and provided some information about the allocation of spots on the wall – including two anti-Agreement spots – on Divis Street (and also about Northumberland Street).
On Divis Street, the first political prisoner’s board towards the left-hand end of the wall goes back to the Castlerea Five (in 2000), followed by a painted mural in 2004 – Segregation For Irish POWs; at the right-hand end of the wall a Tommy Crossan board was mounted in 2001, though this spot has been used for other purposes at various times. (Complete histories of these spots, and the rest of the wall, can be found on the map.)
There was some tension over the anti-Agreement spots in 2016, when most of the wall was repainted for the 1916 centenary. There was a plan to include the spot on the right-hand end (see the final image of The World Did Gaze In Deep Amaze) but the IRPWA instead asserted its control of the spot and painted a Bilal Kayed mural; the 32CSM mural (in roughly the third spot from left) was covered over – for the launch only – by a version of the intended ‘Public Meeting’ mural that was instead painted on a sheet (see Shared Space). The image of Carson was also vandalised while it was being painted (see We Won’t Have Carson).
See also the recent history of the Kieran Nugent spot at the left-hand end of the wall: replaced by a mural about Catalan independence in 2015 – Votes About Votes – but Nugent (along with Maıréad Farrell) was included in the hunger-strikers mural further down the wall – I’ll Wear No Convict’s Uniform | Peace With Justice; then Nugent was Reinstated in the form of a painted board; then the ‘reinstated’ board was removed for the 1916 centenary painting – Young Ireland; a mural of Nugent was then repainted in 2017 – Kieran Nugent; a D company board honouring Nugent, Hughes, and McKee was mounted in 2019 – They Were Faithful And They Fought.
“There is no lie big enough to cover the shame of jailing two innocent men #JFTC2”. Brendan McConville and John Paul Wootton were convicted of the 2009 murder of Constable Stephen Carroll (BBC), and sentenced to life with 25-year and 18-year minimums, respectively. The case is under review (Guardian | An Phoblacht).
The WHO and UNRWA now estimates that of the 34,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, about 14,000 were children (Egypt Today). 18 were killed in a single explosion in Rafah yesterday (AP). This new board in west Belfast illustrates the disparity between Israeli forces and ordinary Palestinians by showing children in ragged clothing armed only with a single, odd-looking (AI hallucinated?), slingshot facing off against other children armed with assault rifles and wearing riot gear.
Of the RNU social-media handles along the bottom, only the Facebook and TikTok ones actually work.
Extramural Activity 