Guest writer Alan Lundy with a piece deeply critical of political policing.
On 15th July 2012 I was arrested by the PSNI in an early morning raid on my home. This was in relation to a number of scurrilous accusations made by a single PSNI officer regarding my behaviour while acting as a steward at the successful GARC protest march against sectarianism on the 12th July 2012.
I was accused by this PSNI officer of throwing a missile at police lines, an accusation that I have vociferously rejected at all times. In addition to this charge, I was also charged with an historical offence, namely attacking a British soldier in 2005 - again on the word of a single PSNI officer, over seven years after the alleged event.
As a result of the actions of these PSNI officers, my home was wrecked during the raids that accompanied my arrest - distressing my partner and two young children. Many personal items were also seized, some with sentimental value, that have still not been returned to me. The main result was that I was on remand for three months in Maghaberry Gaol, taken from my family.
During these three months I applied for bail on a number of occasions and this was refused by numerous judges, based on the PSNI's opposition and their supposed "fear of re-offending". At the same time others were granted bail, including a number of loyalists who were released with no attached bail conditions. This was especially galling for my family and friends who had to sit through the bail applications of loyalists with far stronger evidence against them and see bail granted, then watch as my own application was refused. I was eventually granted bail in October 2012 after serving three months, all of which I served on full protest with other Republicans in Roe House.
The 2005 charges were dropped a number of weeks ago, based on lack of evidence. This justified my position that these charges were simply introduced as a "back up" - to ensure that coupled with 2012 charges i would be remanded and taken off the streets by the PSNI. Today all charges in relation to 12th July were dismissed at Belfast Magistrates Court, further vindicating my belief that these were politically motivated charges with a number of sinister objectives on behalf of the PSNI. Firstly, as a Republican Activist from Ardoyne that works hard on a number of campaigns, it was in the interests of a State Militia to remove me from the streets. Doing so, and using the word of one officer as reasonable evidence to do so, demonstrates internment by remand is a strategic policy used by the PSNI and PPS in 2013 Ireland.
Secondly, the GARC mobilisation of 2,500 Ardoyne Residents on 12th July 2012 was seen by the PSNI, and by association the State, as a demonstration by the Ardoyne community that enough was enough when it came to Sectarian Marches through our area. Imprisoning me was to be interpreted as a warning to all those in attendance that if they oppose Loyal Order parades then they too will face accusations and charges. This further demonstrates the one sided nature of Policing with regard to this issue, however the overwhelming support that I and my family have received since this ordeal began has shown that, far from scaring the Ardoyne community, it has made it more determined to
oppose these parades and the attempted criminalistaion of residents that accompanies them.
Today the PSNI have been shown for what they are, a corrupt force that is there to protect the state by whatever means necessary - even if it means falsely charging and imprisoning innocent people, simply for their political beliefs. They are no different to their forerunners in the RUC in this regard and as such should continue to be rejected by Republicans and all those who state they are concerned with the protection of fundamental human rights.
Those who continue to be apologists and welcome the PSNI into communities such as Ardoyne need to be challenged, but at the same time these people need to look deep inside themselves and ask are they comfortable supporting and promoting a force that has as a policy of selective internment by remand - taking fathers and mothers from their children for prolonged periods of time. It is simply not good enough to say political policing should not affect people only if they still support certain political parties. If they look hard deep enough and be honest with themselves and others, then they will cease lending credence to a police force that is as discredited as the one which they used to oppose.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
Thank you Alan for sharing this experience, the psni/ruc are not the new beginning we were promised nor does there appear to be any sign of the manners that we were told would be put on them ,if anything quisling $inn £ein and their spokespersons seem to be cowering like whipped dogs at their masters heels, asking these people to look deep inside themselves is a complete waste of time a cara,they have went from being part of the solution to being a big part of the problem,content in the knowledge that the media and judicial institutions are working hand in glove alongside the many state agencies in attempting to keep the peoples opposition suppressed,this will and has worked up to a point but like king Canute the tide of public opinion is turning and there is fuck all they can do about it.
ReplyDeleteclearly vindictive. Straight out of the RUC handbook for locking up people they don't like
ReplyDeleteAlan-
ReplyDelete" Those who continue to be Apologists and welcome the PSNI into communities such as Ardoyne need to be challenged " ]
But it is not much of a challenge to them if the fear of losing votes means that you dont name them in your statement/post-are you so worried about the 2nd or 3rd preference votes for the RNU when they stand in the next local elections-
No matter what Alan-your arrest and detention/interment was a crime-glad that you have been vindicted-and the best of luck to you and your family-
Glad you have been vindicated of all charges Alan.
ReplyDeleteThe new power sharing , or , power mad sf created this force, the name they should be called is New R.U.C., with ex RUC special Branch rehired after getting massive redundancy payments, they sit and hand pick old cases which they were originally working on.
Its like water of a ducks back to SF, there moto is, do as we say , not as we do, I have called for ex POW's who have followed SF policy to see the truth, they cant be that blind to miss it, selective interment , secret evidence, No Republic , still under John Bulls tyranny, Rule britannia, gerry rules the waves!.
SF with there scheming lying ways are at the end of there tether , they have run out of lies
Itsjustmackers a cara as we said in the 70,s Rule Britannia...Britannia waives, the rules the cruel vindictive bastards,this view was apparently supported by quisling $inn £ein in the not so distant past,upon signing a document that was nothing more than ambiguous semantics,that party has turned its back on the people who helped breathe life into the phoenix and who supported it in the darkest of days.led by the nose by a leadership driven by ego and blind ambition,prepared to allow comrades and neighbours to die in their desire for a seat in an institution they had sworn to destroy, so Alan a cara asking them to look into themselves is not only a waste of time,it also give those wasters the illusion that somehow they are still relevant,take a leaf out of quisling $inn £eins book and move on without their baggage or shit ..
ReplyDeleteGood to hear you got vindicated Alan. I'm still trying to fathom why Marian Price is still interned and I can't for the life of me understand what charge is leveled at Martin Corey..
ReplyDeleteBut yesterday evening I read and listened to Matt Baggot say this..
BAGGOTT: Well, it’s not because I want to hear them. It’s because a modern police service operates within the rule of law.
I don't believe they work within the law. I'm convinced they make laws up when they need them to suit their own ends...
Listen to him here
Typically of a shinner; michaelhenry can't see further than the ballot box.
ReplyDeleteAnd after years of voting for Adams the people of West Belfast woke up to find that he had packed his carpetbag and fucked off South, leaving that area among the top 3 under-deprived areas in the 'UK'.
Here in the UK City of Culture despite claims by other Adamsites to ''Stand up for Derry'' the city according to Barnardos has more than one in three children living in poverty - the highest rate in Northern Ireland - 35% of Derry children live in poverty, it has the fifth highest rate of child poverty across all 60 UK council areas...
Barnardos further reveals that in Strabane records 32% of children live in poverty...
Stick that in your ballot box Michaelhenry with all your 2nd or 3rd preference votes.
The May issue of An Phoblacht has...wait till you hear this...
ReplyDeleteA full Front [Aye fucking Front] page photo of Eamon Dunphy - his name emblazoned across the top - and his words; that erstwhile most anti of anti-Republicans, quoted proudly alongside.
Then again he doesn't look out of place in that rag.
Get that michaelhenry in here - NOW!!
Naw don't bother.
Dixie-
ReplyDelete" leaving that area among the top 3
under-deprived areas "
We cant help it that the shankil is in the West Belfast area and pulled the whole area down in those figures-some just dont want Sinn Feins help-
" in that rag "
That rag as you call it was there through the war and is still with the movement during the Peace Process-And it will be there in the All Ireland where you will peacefully eat your words-
Michael,
ReplyDeleteDo you really believe that the politcal process will deliver a united Ireland???
Very few do. If you do think it will can you explain it to me.
Frankie, even if the 'All-Ireland' Michael alludes to ever does happen it'll be nothing to do with Sinn Fein's unashamed lying down to the Brits. It'll simply emerge from natural demographic developments, in spite of rather than because of this so-called 'strategy' we fondly hear about. Strategy? Hmm...
ReplyDeleteSome strategy when it involves ignoring a wide range of serious abuses by the state they now serve, such as the two-tiered system of 'justice' where those like Gerry McGeough are jailed while the killers of William Nash, Majella O'Hare and Pat Finucane walk free; the ongoing harassment of the Nationalist community by PSNI, unbelievably including some of their own paying members in parts of Tyrone; standing still for internment while Marian Price and Martin Corey among others continue to rot in British jails; but most damning of all - given that Sinn Fein rose to prominence on the back of the H-Block protests - the goings on in Maghaberry where republican prisoners experience serious abuse day and daily. On all of the above silence equals complicity, especially when we consider Sinn Fein is in a strong position to effect change if it had the 'political will' often quoted elsewhere. 'Raymond McCartney's working flat out behind the scenes' just doesn't cut it any more.
For many it's not so much agreeing to work the Good Friday Agreement as a compromise settlement to the Troubles that's the problem but the manner in which it's done. Fine, Sinn Fein entered the political process but why did that necessitate going into a British government? They could easily have became an opposition party if they felt it necessary to enter Stormont. Of course many republicans disagree with entering partitionist institutions full stop but even if we allow a bit of lee-way there's a massive gulf between taking seats in an Assembly as representatives of your constituency and involving yourself in the actual process of administering British rule in Ireland. The latter has led to Sinn Fein burying its head in the sand on the issues mentioned above and more - worse still lambasting those who dare draw attention to such abuses as 'pretenders'. And all because party position now matters more than principle, even if it only provides for the crumbs from Britain's table and necessitates turning a blind eye to reality.
These are the criticisms Sinn Fein are unwilling to properly address and it's costing them more and more support from previously loyal republicans who simply can't go along with all this. They can carry on as though all's still rosy in the garden but for a rising number of people this is no longer an option. For many whether a reunified Ireland comes round or not is not the issue in terms of opinion on Sinn Fein. If it happens it'll happen of its own accord - in spite of rather than because of this 'strategy'. But the party's behaviour and all it tolerated in the interim will not be airbrushed from history or forgotten, and no-one will feel the need to 'eat their words' as Michael suggests. Because regardless of the outcome there is absolutely no excuse for all that Sinn Fein participate in and are complicit in today.
Coincidentally I was at a rally in Coalisland last night organised by the Eamon Ceannt Society, a great wee event to commemorate 'Republic Day' on the anniversary of the Rising. Afterwards we went for tae and biscuits up in the office and I'd a great talk with a friend from Galbally, one of the hardest and most respected workers I came across when in Sinn Fein. He said to me "don't worry about them, where will they be in ten years time when the money's all stopped". Like myself I doubt he feels it'll be in the All-Ireland Micheal appears so confident of because his party has set that back decades. We can only hope that eventually the republican people will tell them where to go and set about our aims once more with purpose
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAs an annoyed Mayor Richard J. Daley famously said to a reporter in 1968: "The police are not there to create disorder! They are there to preserve disorder!"
ReplyDeleteSean thanks for explaining. I agree it ( a United Ireland) will only come about by demographics. The more I surf the net and read, listen to the radio etc...I hear more and more voices of dissent. And SF can't be that blind or deaf not to notice it too. Which probably explains the 'olive branches' they are offering.
ReplyDeletePersonally believe Gerry Adams is on borrowed time.