Relatives of those killed in the Omagh bombing last night picketed a fund-raising function in west Belfast for "Real IRA" prisoners. They had demanded that the event be cancelled, but it went ahead in Brennan's bar.
The function was organised by the Irish Republican Prisoners' Welfare Association and was addressed by Mr Martin Galvin, New York lawyer and former publicity director of Noraid.
Mr Galvin said the Belfast Agreement would not lead to Irish unity and "Real IRA" prisoners had "shown by their actions they would never accept British rule, no matter who has signed up to the Stormont deal".
Among those attending was the vice-chairwoman of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement, Ms Bernadette Sands McKevitt, and former Provisional IRA prisoners, including the hunger-striker Ms Marion Price.
In a statement, Mr Michael Gallagher and Mr Victor Barker, whose sons Adrian Gallagher (21) and James Barker (12), were killed in the Omagh explosion, said that the "Real IRA" was pursuing Irish unity at any cost, "including the murder of innocent civilians".
They stated: "It is shameful that, in this public house, members of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement will, in the words of their own advert, be having `craic agus ceol'. There has been little singing in the homes of the relatives of the 29 victims since the bomb. We wish it to be known throughout the world, but particularly in America, that Martin Galvin is contributing nothing to the people of Ireland, only misery."
They said that anti-agreement republicans who viewed the peace process as a sell-out were a small minority and called on the British, Irish and US governments to do everything possible to campaign against the further growth of "this hate and murder movement".
Mr Galvin and the sovereignty movement should be ashamed of themselves, but were clearly "beyond feeling shame". The picket was the start of the "stand against this evil organisation", the relatives said.
In a statement, the sovereignty movement said: "We acknowledge Michael Gallagher's understandable grief. He has suffered a double tragedy - the loss of his son in Omagh and the earlier loss of his brother, a UDR member. However, the people of this country have endured much tragedy and suffering, and we must all work towards ending this conflict. Anti-republican rhetoric is not helpful."
Ms Price, the chairwoman of the prisoners' association, said: "There is a long tradition in republicanism of organising support for the families of prisoners. We cannot follow the logic which portrays support for the wives and children of prisoners as offensive. We have held previous functions in Belfast and across Ireland and will continue to do so until the need no longer exists."
In his speech, Mr Galvin claimed that elements of the media had mounted "an orchestrated campaign to vilify us and have this function cancelled". He continued: "Let me say something both the British and journalists should know. Republicans will not be broken in their support for political prisoners."
He claimed that the British government and the parties in the Stormont Executive had cause for concern. "The very existence of a growing number of republican political prisoners fighting a criminalisation policy in the jails belies any claim that British rule is truly changed. British rule is irreformable. Those who join a British administration - be it the SDLP or Sinn Fein - will ultimately be party to the sectarian system and injustices which have brought suffering and conflict to Ireland."