Prison campaigners set upon by masked Crown Force unit

The Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association has hit out at the failure of “former comrades” to offer support over a continuing campaign of state harassment.

The IRPWA said that on Tuesday, July 30th, following a meeting in Derry City, representatives returning home were targeted by armed and masked men, understood to be members of a specialist PSNI/British Army unit.

“These men refused to identify themselves or state what barracks they were based in contrary to draconian stop and search procedures,” they said.

“Some of the masked individuals spoke with Scottish and English accents, whilst at least one had a local accent. It’s clear that this was not a so called “community policing team”.

“They were dressed in dark clothing with little to no logos and had their faces covered.

“This aggressive stop and search lasted for quite some time, with one IRPWA representative being handcuffed having been dragged from his vehicle.

“Despite the deafening silence of former comrades and those who have now been eloped by the very system they once claimed they would never be part of, the Saoradh and the IRPWA stand firm in our opposition to the current harassment, intimidation and political repression of our party membership and IRPWA activists.

“We, as Republicans, have become accustomed to the daily onslaught of abuse, intimidation and harassment meted out by British Crown Forces. These tactics have failed in the past and will continue to fail today.”

Urgent Appeal