PSNI assault Newry man; trouble in Craigavon, Belfast

There was a “vicious” assault by the PSNI against a local republican during a stop and search operation in Newry last week, according to eirigi.

“As a result of this assault, the victim had to seek hospital treatment for his injuries which included serious bruising and swelling to his arms, back and side,” said local eirigi representative Stephen Murney.

“Such was the ferocity of the assault that several bystanders pleaded with the PSNI assailants to stop what they were doing as the victim was clearly injured and in a lot of pain. Their pleas were ignored.”

Mr Murney said the PSNI also ignored the fact that the man was injured and in need of medical treatment.

“Instead, they handcuffed the man before bundling him into a patrol car which took him to a barracks. On top of being assaulted, injured and arrested he then found himself facing spurious charges of disorderly behaviour and resisting police.”

In the past three years alone, over 76,000 people had been targeted by the PSNI using the British government’s so-called “Justice and Security Act”.

Mr Murney said the particular PSNI members behind the attack were “notorious” in the Newry area for targeting republicans.

“While PSNI harassment and brutality shows no sign of stopping, that does not mean we should accept it as normal, it is far from normal.”

CRAIGAVON INCIDENT

In a separate incident, PSNI vehicles were attacked with home-made blast bombs during an alert in Craigavon, County Armagh. The PSNI were examining a suspicious object in Craigavon when they came under attack.

During the alert, local youths hurled missiles, including home-made blast bomb, at the PSNI, but there were no injuries. A British Army unit later declared the device to be a hoax.

ONH ATTACK

On Monday, breakaway IRA group Oglaigh na hEireann claimed a grenade attack on the PSNI, the second in the space of a week. The attack took place on Barnfield Road in Dunmurry on the outskirts of southwest Belfast in the early hours of Monday morning.

In a telephoned statement, Oglaigh na hEireann said it had carried out the grenade attack, which caused no injuries.

Last week the PSNI were also targeted at Twinbrook in west Belfast when a device was thrown at an armoured car. No one was hurt but two vehicles were damaged. Admitting that attack, their first on the PSNI in over a year, ONH warned that more would follow.

Urgent Appeal