La Luta Continua

by Satish Sekar © Satish Sekar (June 21^st 2014)

Justice Warrior

Miscarriage of justice survivor and committed campaigner for justice Gerry Conlon has died at his home in Belfast aged 60 after a long illness. Even if they live to be a 100 few people will make the impact that Gerry Conlon did. Conlon endured 15 long years of wrongful imprisonment along with Patrick Armstrong, Paul Hill and Carole Richardson (the Guildford Four).

October 19^th 1989 was a day that shook the foundations of British justice to its core. The smug complacency that it was the best in the world was laid bare. A procession of innocent people blinking in the daylight of freedom, fists clenched in the air, followed the Guildford Four to freedom as conviction after conviction was quashed, but for many the euphoria soon faded as the outrages of life took their toll.

Committed

There was no after-care provided by the State that had so egregiously wronged so many people when Conlon emerged to face the worldʼs media. Over a decade would pass before a new government, which despite its many wrongs, at least had the decency to apologise to the Guildford Four for what they went through, established a very limited scheme to provide after-care.

Despite his failing health Conlon remained committed to social justice, using his Facebook page to highlight causes he held dear. Conlon was a warrior for justice warrior before armchair campaigning became fashionable. He was an inspiration to many along with Paddy Hill and Michael OʼBrien and the late Yusef Abdullahi in particular.

A True Hero

Conlon campaigned for others. The Birmingham Six were the first, but not last. I met him in 1991. He listened attentively as I told him of a shameful miscarriage – naïvely. There was little or nothing I could tell him that he didnʼt know for himself – that he had not experienced. He spoke to their families and encouraged their campaign. He went to Cardiff and helped put the Cardiff Threeʼs Campaign on the map.

The rest of what happened in that case is history, but it owes Gerry Conlon a huge debt and so do I. We have lost a champion of justice and the world is a worse place without him. What would have happened if Gerry and his supporters had not been so tenacious? Would that glorious day in 1989 have happened? Would justice have prevailed for the many that followed him? Who knows, but thankfully it did happen. Gerry Conlon, you will be missed.