Tuesday, September 30, 2008

No school should facilitate British Army PR exercises

Ógra Shinn Féin’s National Organiser Barry McColgan has condemned what he described as a ‘British Army PR exercise’ at a school in the Twinbrook area of Belfast.

St. Colms School in Twinbrook secretly invited a British Army regiment, the Royal Marines, into the school on Monday 22nd September.

Parents of many of the children who took part in an exercise with the British Army's Royal Marines in St. Colm’s, were horrified to learn of the visit and its secret nature.


Speaking following the incident Ógra National Organiser Barry McColgan said:

"The people of the six counties and indeed the area of Twinbrook have suffered greatly at the hands of the British Army over the last forty years.”

"The British army should not have been invited to this school or indeed any school for a PR opportunity. No amount of spin can change the image of the British Army in Ireland. The brutal track record of the British army in Ireland and abroad speaks for itself. They have left a brutal and bloody legacy the people of Ireland won’t forget. Indeed such brutality continues apace today in Afghanistan and Iraq.”

“The British army remains as an occupying force in the north of Ireland and no school should facilitate such PR exercises.”


8 comments:

Anonymous said...

that's a reeking disgrace!!, considering that even in England a major english teacher's trade union has called on teachers not allow the British army to recruit in it's schools [teachers say] as they give 'un-realistic' representations of life in the army!
It would be very wrong of us not to kick up a fuss about the exploitations of Irish kids in this way - the irish working class shall not be cannon fodder for British imperialist interests!!
Senan.

Anonymous said...

They do it in many schools in west Belfast. The principal gave them the go ahead to be there, he/she needs to be condemned equally.

Anonymous said...

The head of the school has to be expelled the brainwashing traitor she is.

Anonymous said...

Any exercise like this needs to be challenged and if we have advance notice, we should campaign to stop the event and failing that turn up and prevent the Brits access to the event.

West Tyrone Ógra done this a few times in the past when the Brits tried similar PR exercises in Omagh.

J

Anonymous said...

Will Ogra Shinn Fein be formally making their concerns to head teachers?

Ross said...

PR exercises??!! The simple fact that the Britain is the government force over Belfast, and the British Army, as the defensive force, should be given every opportunity to recruit the defenders of Ulster of the future...

Nothing like sarcasm on a Wednesday evening!!

Anonymous said...

A disgrace. Keep them bastards away from our kids!

Anonymous said...

this happened in eneskilen to this week i urge any irish man woman or child to attend the protest again the ocupieing froces marching to the streets of belfast