RUC/PSNI Harassment continues unabated in Newry.

South Down 32 County Sovereignty Movement.
21/10/2010

RUC/PSNI Harassment continues unabated in Newry.

The RUC/PSNI campaign of harassment in Newry town and surrounding areas has continued unabated in recent days. This campaigned aimed at the nationalist community in general and the republican community in particular has began to take a bleakly familiar routine with activists tailed for miles until enough reinforcements are gathered to stop and search.
On the evening of Wednesday 20th October , 3 members of the 32 CSM in South Down were followed from the Mayobridge area, where a heavy police presence was stationed all day, to the outskirts of Newry where their path was blocked by 2 marked and 2 unmarked cars and an armoured land rover.
The 3 republicans were pulled from their van and repeatedly asked the same questions despite having given the requisite answers under the relevant section (Justice and Security section 24). The men’s outer garments and shoes were then removed, despite the freezing conditions, and they were searched on two different occasions by two different policemen. The men were then left to stand at the roadside from 19:10 to 20:20 while their van was ripped to pieces. All the way through this search the RUC/PSNI continued to ask the 3 men questions that they had already answered as well as questions that they did were not required to answer.
When the republicans were finally allowed to go on their way they travelled all of 5 yards before they were again stopped and issued a fixed penalty fine for a defective headlamp.
This petty harassment is on the increase in Newry as our comrades from other republican organisations can testify, however the 32 County Sovereignty Movement and our republican comrades in Newry and South Down take this as evidence of the growing effectiveness of our respective campaigns, we thank all those who beeped and waved at our activists during their detention and vow to continue to highlight the violation of our national sovereignty by a foreign occupier.