Saoradh Executive harassed in Tyrone

A meeting of the Saoradh National Executive in Dugannon was subjected to an “onslaught” of state harassment before, during and after the meeting, according to the party.

The meeting took pace on Saturday 27th April at its party offices in the County Tyrone town. Members of the party leadership were followed to the location and then surrounded by five car loads of heavily armed police, the party said.

“It was evident from early morning that the state’s militia were out in force with the sole purpose of interfering with, and attempting to disrupt, our legally held right of poltical assembly in the form of a political meeting,” they said.

The four Derry Saoradh members travelling in the car were then subjected to body searches in the centre of Dungannon in front of many shoppers and the public passing by while the car they were travelling in was extensively ransacked by them.

While this stop and search was happening, other members of the Saoradh National Executive who were travelling to the meeting from other parts of the Occupied Six Counties, and Twenty Six Counties were facing a similar fate in the areas around Dungannon.

One of the Saoradh members was threatened with arrest due to being in breach of his current bail conditions, but this was dismissed when it transpired he was breaking none of them.

Saoradh’s National Chairperson Stephen Murney slammed the actions of the Crown Forces.

He said, “What we have witnessed here today is a clear example of an over-zealous militia engaging in blatant political policing. Nine out of Eleven people present at today’s meeting were subjected to humiliating and intrusive searches in the centre of Dungannon.

“The Crown Forces knew fine well that we had gathered for a political meeting in a party office and for the duration of that meeting they parked outside the office in several vehicles for two and a half hours.

“When our meeting had ended and we proceeded to leave the office the harassment continued with numerous carloads of heavily armed PSNI personnel targeting those departing.”

The party’s Vice-Chairperson, Brian Kenna, added:

“One of the most basic human rights is freedom of political assembly, yet it’s clear in Occupied Ireland that the forces of British imperialism are hell bent on quelling such basic rights.

“No other political party in Western Europe, let alone Ireland, is subjected to such attacks by the state forces.”

“They are obviously reeling at the fact that their attempts at destroying Saoradh over the past few years have failed miserably and we are clearly here to stay.”

Urgent Appeal