Matt Morrison is an Irish political refugee, ex-IRA member, husband, and father of 2.
He is one of many Irish Republicans seeking political asylum in the US, and has been struggling since 1993 to stay in the US, when his petition for an "adjustment of status," was denied, largely in part because of his past IRA membership.
November 30th, 1997, in St. Louis Missouri, marked the day that "Celebrate! Peace Justice Freedom" was published by the Matt Morrison Defense Fund, the central organ to help keep Matt Morrison in the US.
The journal was rampant with names and faces of local IWW members, who have been with Matt from the beginning.
Reading on page 20 (?) is:
Finally, a major factor in mobilizing political support has been the efforts of people in the labor movement. Individuals from many different Unions and Union Organizations have been with us from the beginning. The Electricians, the Pipefitters, the Carpenters, UNITE, the St. Louis Branch of the Industrial Workers of the World, to name a few - we are proud to have these men and women as our comrades and friends.
And above this passage was a picture of local delegate Tom Madden, Matt Morrison, local Chair Ed Fitzgerald and Mike Kirrane (picture to be uploaded soon).
The journal also thanked local S/T Tim Dunn for his work on the political consultants team.
Some history on Matt Morrison
reprinted from Where is Liberty?, a collection of the stories of all the Irish Republicans in America facing deportation.
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Matt Morrison grew up in the Brandywell district of Derry City in the 1950s. Because of the lack of housing for Catholics, Matt's family -- including two grandmothers, an aunt, his parents and six siblings -- all lived in a two bedroom house with no indoor bathroom or hot water. Matt's father was a plasterer, but discrimination in employment forced him to travel throughout Europe searching for work. Occasionally, his mother found work in a shirt factory.
Matt accompanied his father on civil rights marches, and later helped build barricades to protect his neighbors from rioting loyalist mobs and the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
Their home was also often raided by soilders in the middle of the night. Moreover, on Bloody Sunday in January, 1972, Matt and his father were among those who witnessed British paratroops murder 14 unarmed civil rights marchers in his native city.
While a student at Colerain University in 1975, Matt was arrested and charged with an attack on an RUC member. His interrogators beat him so badly he lost the hearing in one ear. He ended up serving 10 years as a political prisoner.
During his imprisonment Matt began corresponding with Francie Broderick, an American woomen. She visited him in jail and upon his release. They married soon after he came to the United States in December, 1985.
In 1993, Matt was told that his petition for an "adjustment of status," which would have allowed him to remain here, had been denied because of his past membership in the Irish Republican Army. They have appealed the decision.
Matt and Francie have two children born in the United States: Matthew, age seven, and Mary Kate, age three. Francie is a director of a non-profit agency that assists people with mental illness in living independently. Matt is a nursing student.
They are under a deportation order.
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For more information about how you can help, consider the following organization:
Irish Northern Aid
363 7th Ave
New York, NY 10001
St. Louis contact 863-1924
1-800 IRELAND
and
National Coalition to Protect Political Freedom
666 Broadway, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10012