Lurgan youths attacked by RIR thugs
RIR SOLDIERS ATTACKED TWO LURGAN friends on two separate
occasions last week. In the most serious attack, last Wednesday
29 October at 2.45pm16 year old Anthony Ganley was pushed through
a plate glass window when an RIR man assaulted him in the town's
William Street. Both Anthony and his 15 year old friend Kevin
Scullion were on their way to see their solicitor to report an
earlier attack on them by the RIR in North Street on Monday 27
October.
Then as the friends made their way up William Street after the
attack the same RIR patrol threatened the youths and Patrick
Scullion, Kevin's father, who was leaving solicitor Rosemary
Nelson's office having himself made a complaint about RUC
harassment.
``I'll get you right, you wee bastards,'' shouted the RIR man, a
threat the solicitor heard. She has since made a statement to the
RUC.
Wednesday's incident happened when an RUC member accompanying an
RIR patrol stopped and searched the pair, then let them go. As
they neared the Railway Bar one of the RIR soldiers ran at the
youths shouting, ``I'll knock your fuck out''. He took his gun off
and handed it to another member of the patrol and as he reached
the pair he pushed Anthony against the window of a hairdressers
twice. On the second push the youth went through the window
suffering bruising to his back. While in Lurgan barracks making a
complaint the RUC refused to get the lad a doctor to examine his
injuries. The RIR man then threatened Kevin Scullion as he
defended his friend.
The RUC man with the patrol, who has a reputation for abusing
natinalists, denied he had seen the assault but asked the RIR man
if he was going to arrest Anthony. At this Anthony was arrested,
although he wasn't taken into custody and 20 minutes later the
pair were let go.
When the youths arrived at Rosemary Nelson's office and pointed
out their attacker to Patrick Scullion the RIR man made his
threat.
Patrick Scullion had spent the morning shopping with his wife in
Lurgan town centre. Scullion told An Phoblacht that as he went
from shop to shop an RUC sergeant followed him about.
Scullion went to Lurgan barracks to make a complaint and as he
left he met the RUC man in question who grabbed him when he told
him he had just complained about him.
The original incident in North Street happened at 7.15 as the two
lads walked past an RIR checkpoint. One soldier grabbed Anthony
by the throat and another hit Kevin in the stomach with his rifle
butt.
``He kept asking me my name, although I had given it to him, then
a couple of women came and told him to let me go and he did''.
According to Patrick Scullion who came up to see what was
happening the women heard Anthony giving his name and have made
statements about the assault.
``These are very worrying incidents,'' said Patrick Scullion, ``it's
as if the RIR and RUC are determined to attack the lads everytime
they see them. They have told them both that as soon as they
reached 17 they will be in Gough barracks''.
Meanwhile Sinn Fein councillor John O'Dowd told An Phoblacht that
``the crown forces are clearly involved in a campaign of violence
against the nationalist population of Lurgan. There has been a
litany of attacks, some very serious; it is only a matter of time
before someone is seriously injured or killed''.
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