Republican Youth condemn arrests of Corsican student activists

SINN FÉIN REPUBLICAN YOUTH has condemned the arrest of four members of Corsican nationalist youth organisation Ghjuventú Indipendentista (GI) on Thursday morning following a peaceful protest at a French government building in the town of Corte.

Fifteen members of GI peacefully occupied the lobby of the sub-prefecture building in Corte on Thursday morning to demand that the French government follow through with promises to co-officialise the Corsican language in Corsica, along with other promises regarding tax. The island's native language is spoken by about 50% of the people who live there. Current French president Francois Hollande promised to ratify the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages if he won the Presidential election, however, more than a year on and he has still not fulfilled his promise.

GI activists occupy the sub-prefecture building in Corte

Four GI activists were arrested and detained at Borgu French military camp where they went on hunger and thirst strike before being released the next day. They are now facing a number of charges

SFRY Dublin spokesperson, Mark Moloney, who represented SFRY at GI's annual Scontri Internaziunali youth conference in Corte in 2009 and 2012 said the arrests were “disgraceful”.

“We've heard from those present at the protest that the French police used excessive force in the arrests. Upwards of a dozen officers dragged the activists from the building. During the incident police punched and kicked the activists. Two were injured, one sustained injuries to his jaw and another was wounded in the face, shoulder and hip.

“These activists were making a peaceful protest for the right to speak their own language in official business in their own country. Their peaceful protest was met with completely disproportionate force by the French authorities. It is absolutely unacceptable that student activists who are simply standing up for their cultural rights should be treated in this fashion

“Here in Ireland we face a similar battle. In the Six Counties, Irish language speakers have faced opposition and resistance to their demands for an Irish Language Act which would give them the same basic rights and entitlements as others.

“Whether in Corsica or Ireland, the people of the country who speak their native language should have the same linguistic rights and entitlements as everybody else.”

SFRY with GI & CGC activists at the Scontri Internaziunali in Corte in 2012