McElduff Slams “Political Policing, to suit Unionist Agenda.”

tyrone | rights, freedoms and repression | press release Wednesday March 15, 2006 19:38 by The Pen - Ógra Shinn Féin www.osf6county at yahoo dot com

West Tyrone Sinn Féin launch 'End Political Policing' campaign

West Tyrone Sinn Féin MLA and Omagh District Councillor Barry McElduff has accused the PSNI of ‘poisoning the political process with regular interventions aimed at preventing change so as to suit a Unionist agenda.’

Ógra Shinn Féin members along with Sinn Féin MLA at the luanch of the 'End Political Policing' campaign in Omagh

West Tyrone Sinn Féin MLA and Omagh District Councillor Barry McElduff has accused the PSNI of ‘poisoning the political process with regular interventions aimed at preventing change so as to suit a Unionist agenda.’

He was speaking at the launch of West Tyrone Sinn Fein’s ‘End Political policing’ campaign in Omagh on Wednesday evening of this week 15 March.

Mr McElduff explained “Politically motivated arrests of leading republicans in recent months, including the arrest of well-known GAA member Francie Brolly is completely unacceptable and only serves the interests of the rejectionist DUP. The collapse of the Assembly and the subsequent ‘go slow’ of the All Ireland bodies was brought about by the PSNI raid of the Sinn Féin Party Offices in Stormont in 2002.

Alongside Barry McElduff at the local launch were members of Ógra Shinn Féin who have found themselves ‘at the centre of Political Policing’. Cllr McElduff claims that those Ógra Shinn Féin members present have been subject to political harassment and intimidation in recent months.

Cllr McElduff said that the harassment experienced by the Ógra Shinn Féin members ranged from being taken off public transport outside Omagh, because of high profile speeches at Sinn Fein’s recent Ard Fhéis in Dublin, another member being stopped searched and questioned in Dublin city centre by the Gardai and also one youth being a constant target of harassment over the last 3 years. “Trying to harass young people out of politics is another example of Political Policing,” stated the Sinn Féin MLA.

He went on, “It important to remember that political policing is happening everyday in the of the week in the six counties”

Cllr McElduff has said that he intends to write to An Taoiseach Bertie Ahern TD regarding the intimidation of Ógra Shinn Féin.

Mr McElduff concluded, “ This pattern of Political Policing presently fits into the age-old practice of making interventions to oppose change because change may not suite Unionists. Collusion with Loyalist death squads is one example, the timely raids on Sinn Féin offices and homes of members is another example and trying to bully Sinn Fein’s young activists is but another”.