Clashes between nationalists and PSNI

Youths in republican areas have battled with the PSNI police in Lurgan and Derry as anger over raids and harassment spilled over into violence.

Last Friday evening, October 30th, PSNI and British Army armoured vehicles who descended on a republican area in Lurgan following a security alert at the train line came under attack.

Sinn Féin councillor Catherine Seeley said the clashes were “not supported by the wider north Lurgan community” and she wished the PSNI members involved a speedy recovery.

“I wholeheartedly condemn this attack and call on anyone with information to forward it to the PSNI,” she said.

Earlier in the week, a similar scenario played out in Derry’s Galliagh area during a PSNI and British army bomb team raid in the nationalist estate. The result was a full blown riot and the area was plunged into darkness when street lights were damaged. The PSNI responded by firing flares.

Youths also erected a burning barricade on the main road through the area. A windscreen on a PSNI Land Rover was broken when Crown force vehicles were attacked with stones and paint bombs.

Sinn Féin councillor Sandra Duffy said the riot on Thursday night of last week had been a “frightening experience” for all in Galliagh.

There were peaceful protests in Belfast, Newry and Strabane last weekend as Republican Network for Unity activists organised against what it said was the “latest wave” of political policing directed against republicans.

The group said it would “continue to build on the momentum created to face down all attempts by the RUC/PSNI and the corrupt judiciary to crush organised Republicanism. We hope many more will join us.”

There was some good news this week when a judge threw out a conviction against a republican youth which followed a stop-and-search incident in April.

Eighteen-year-old Conall Corbett was granted his appeal against a conviction for assault on the PSNI in the Ardoyne area of Belfast after it emerged the PSNI member involved was not aware of the legislation under which the search took place.

Conall is the youngest republican internee at Maghaberry jail, where he has been held on unrelated charges since May. Before his internment by remand, he had been subjected to stop-and-searches on an almost daily basis by the PSNI, his lawyer said.

“There is a clear issue in relation to the arbitrary nature and lawfulness of the PSNI’s ongoing use of stop and search powers,” said Michael Halleron of Madden and Finucane solicitors.

“It is bizarre that senior police officers can stop young people on the streets of Belfast without being aware of the legal basis for so doing.”

Urgent Appeal