Portadown RUC watch loyalists assault teenager
THE RUC say they watched Portadown loyalists escape after attacking a 15-year-old youth on the Garvaghy Road because they knew who the assailants were!
The attack took place within yards of two RUC Land Rovers at the bottom of the Garvaghy Road on Wednesday, 28 July, as loyalists took down an Orange arch.
A loyalist crowd hurled abuse at nationalist residents and tension increased. As two RUC Land Rover patrols watched, the loyalists attacked the teenager and then ran off. When challenged about why they did not make an arrest, the RUC said that they did not need to apprehend the assailants because they knew who they were.
Sinn Féin Upper Bann Assembly member Dara O'Hagan said: ``The occupants of the RUC vehicles took no action to prevent the assault or to apprehend the assailants. This is par for the course in Portadown when nationalists are attacked. It is the response that is expected from this partisan force. It is an attack on the whole community when these bigots in uniform are then commended in the media for their even-handed policing of the situation.''
She said that the assault is reminiscent of the murderous attack which resulted in the death of Robert Hamill in Portadown town centre two years ago. Then the RUC also looked on whilst loyalists kicked a nationalist to death. ``Fortunately, this time the victim was rescued and taken to hospital before he too suffered the same fate. It was no thanks to the `brave' RUC personnel in their armoured Land Rovers.''
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