Friday 30th March 1973
Compound 13 Long Kesh
There was nearly a riot in the compound today and the prods and the taigs were backing each other up.
There has been a load of tension lately between them—every time something happens outside, like if there is somebody shot or blew up, whoever done it the other side are ready to fight. Sometimes if it comes on the news that a couple of taigs were blew up in a bar, all the prods cheer or if it says a soldier was shot dead the taigs all go mad. There was a move to Magilligan at the start of the week and 20 people were sent up but 14 of them are prods so the taigs are in the majority now and they are throwing their weight about. On Thursday morning we got a big search. The screws said it was because there had been stuff stolen from the hospital—tablets and a syringe. They brought dogs and all in and put us all into the canteen while they tore the place apart. One of the screws cut his hand when he put his hand in a locker and there was a razor blade hid in it. So they came to the canteen and took the wee lad out who owned the locker—he’s a country fella—from Larne or something in for fighting with the peelers. They bate him up in front of everybody. He said the razor blade wasn’t even his –fuck sake he doesn’t even shave. After that they took everybody into the showers in fours or fives and stripped search us. They had an MO with them to make sure everything was done right but he was worse than the screws. They stripped us naked and searched everywhere—really roughly. They looked in our mouths and ears and made us lift our balls so they could look under there too. Then they made us bend over and the MO put his finger up our arse. Anybody who resisted got a couple of digs from the other screws and a lot got hit with batons. I think the Mo got pleasure out of it all cos he was laughing and joking with the other screws. Big Janty said he done it before and thinks say’s a stinkin’ pervert. Big Janty is the oldest one in here and has been in for near two years. Anyway we all had a meeting this morning, nearly everyone, we had the meeting in our hut and there was prods and taigs there. We said that we should have some sort of protest and somebody said we should refuse to work and that the whole prison should come till a stand still. The IRA ones are going to get word till the internees about what happened and we are going to throw a note over to our boys in 12. A couple of the us wanted to start a riot but somebody else said the screws would just stay outside and then come in and take everybody out one at a time and give them a bating. We said to leave things till later on and have another meeting. In the canteen at tea time the screws came in and took a fella called Haughey out and bate him up for being an organiser and wanting to start a riot. Wee Smicker said that Big Janty is a ball licker and it was probly him that squealed till the screws. Big Janty has sandwiches every night before he goes to bed. And a wee transistor.
