RSF warned of ‘threats’

Two members of Republican Sinn Féin in Belfast were visited in their homes by the PSNI police and informed that their lives are under threat from a previously unknown group, the party has said.

The warning is part of a pattern of increased harassment on both sides of the border, a spokemsan said. The home of a member in Dublin was raided by plainclothes gardai last week in the early hours of the morning.

“At about 4am they knocked up the family and in a very aggressive way proceeded to turn the house up-side down,” he said.

“Out in the garden ornaments were overturned and the garden shed emptied of its contents. They said they were looking for a gun and said that the raid was in direct relation to a shooting that had taken place the previous evening.

“Naturally nothing was found and the gardai moved out leaving the house and shed in shambles.”

On two occasions over the last two weeks, members of a family were stopped and questioned in Tallaght in the west of Dublin. One of the family members is a member of RSF, and the party believes pressure is being applied to people to leave the organisation

“The 26-County Special Branch have tried to intimidate many of the younger members in Dublin into leaving the organisation,” the spokesman said.

“Mobile phones are taken from people for no reason on a regular basis. Money too is taken from people without any justification.

“The public coming into the bookstore in Parnell Street are subjected to stop, question and search when they leave - in some cases they have been told that they are not to go into the shop again.”

The party warned its menbers that if they are stopped, ask for identification, why thwt are being stopped and under what act.

“Write down their names and if you are unhappy with their conduct go to a solicitor, don’t put up with intimidation and harassment.”

Urgent Appeal