The two young activists, who were both under the age of 16, were questioned under section 44 and threatened with arrest during the incident in Enniskillen. The individuals had hung a banner in the town connected with the national campaign, calling for an end to British presence in Ireland. A short time afterwards members of the PSNI detained and questioned them, and placed them under arrest.
A number of Ógra leaflets, a camera and a phone were confiscated. In addition the two individuals were directed to report to the PSNI barracks this week.Ógra Shinn Féin National Organiser Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire had this to say:
'This is the third such incident of unjustifiable and unprovoked harassment in the space of a week, following similarly absurd events in Dungannon and in Strabane. Given that fact, and given that in this instance the two individuals were minors, this incident cannot go without comment. The recent actions of the PSNI, in attempting to intimidate and to harass young republicans, cannot be allowed to continue, and we will raise our concerns at the highest levels.'
'This latest incident is particularly disturbing and smacks simply of intimidation. However, Ógra will not be intimidated off the streets and will continue to campaign on issues such as these.’
‘We will be bringing these incidents to the attention of our members on the DPP, Policing board and will ensure the Police Ombudsman investigates this case. It is clear that individuals within the PSNI are intent on intimidating and harassing young republican activists at any given opportunity. We will continue to work to ensure that these bad policing practices are consigned to the dustbin of history and we have a policing service representative of the whole community.
7 comments:
It's actions like this which leave a lot of Republicans asking whether the PSNI deserve our support.
The massive increase in harrasment of activists in recent weeks is nothing a short of a disgrace.
Exactly. Harassment is becoming all too common.
this is nothing short of disgraceful!
well done ógra... keep going! :)
Absolute disgrace, but it will only serve to encourage Ógra activists in Fermanagh. They must be doing something right if the PSNI feel threatened enough to arrest. keep up the the good work.
As one of the people recently questioned under the Section 44 'Terrorism' Act, I think that these recent actions prove we need to be engaged in changing the PSNI and holding them to account. These recent actions are disgraceful, but the facts remain that the PSNI have massively reduced harassment since Sinn Féin started holding them to account through the policing board and the DPP. I remember whole streets of houses being raided and wrecked when i was growing up, and young nationalists being daily harassed and murdered by the RUC, while the recent actions are a damning inditement on the peelers, they are a far cry from the past, things have changed, and regardless of lapses like this, they can not be allowed to drag policing back to where it was. I don't think it is any coincidence, that these recent actions are going on in the backdrop of DUP intransigence on transfer of policing and justice, and to maybe divert attention away from us, and even try to play into a securocrat agenda of republicans questioning our change of policing. We need to continue to hold these scum who resent the change to account and ensure that impartial community policing replaces the political policing of the past. Change will come, if we stay focused, and don't take a head stagger, like the securocrats and anti gfas want is to.
well said !!! :)
Keep the heads up lads your doing a great job in Fermanagh!
sg
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