RSF Hold Press Conference RE: Craigavon Raids/Arrests

national | miscellaneous | press release Thursday March 26, 2009 15:07 by Richard Walsh - Republican Sinn Féin tiocfaidh at btinternet dot com c/- 223, Parnell Street, Dublin 1, Ireland +44-7835 620 592 / +353-87 261 8603

A press conference was held in Belfast on Thursday afternoon by Republican Sinn Féin. This was organised to highlight the ongoing situation in the Craigavon and Lurgan areas of County Armagh – particularly in the Drumbeg, Ardowen and Meadowbrook areas, where there have been widescale raids and detentions over the course of the past two weeks. Some homes were raided on up to three different occasions.

A press conference was held in Belfast on Thursday afternoon by Republican Sinn Féin. This was organised to highlight the ongoing situation in the Craigavon and Lurgan areas of County Armagh – particularly in the Drumbeg, Ardowen and Meadowbrook areas, where there have been widescale raids and detentions over the course of the past two weeks. Some homes were raided on up to three different occasions.

Sniffer dogs were present during many of the raids, with numerous landrovers parked outside. The RUC were armed with heavy weaponry in the presence of children, and used the barrels of their guns to force the children out of the way.

Many householders were confined to a room during the raids, despite legal requirements that they be able to witness the searches.

A number of people affected by the raids attended the press conference, and described the aggressive nature of the RUC raiding parties. One of these described how many of the possessions in his household – including all of his and his brother's clothes – were seized:

“I had to go out in a pair of slippers and socks, and to get a lend of clothes. When I approached the Department of Health and Social Security, they refused assistance claiming that I still 'had clothes on my back'.”

Another victim of the recent raids said that the whole of Craigavon and Lurgan had been kept under siege over the course of the past fortnight. The actions and demeanour of the RUC was clearly designed to intimidate the Nationalist residents of these areas, he added. They were revving the engines of their landrovers, and screaming at people on the street and in their homes.

Children had their schoolbags emptied onto the street, and young mothers had prams searched when entering and exiting a number of estates in the area. Mobile telephones were also seized and examined.

Minors were stopped and searched without an appropriate adult present, and youths were intimidated by British guns, which were trained on them.

A spokesperson for Republican Sinn Féin in North Armagh said:

“Once again the RUC have shown their brutal heavy-handedness in operations against the people of Craigavon. They have proven that they will stop at nothing to disrupt the lives of local hard-working people.”

At present three men have been charged in connection with the shooting of RUC Constable Carroll, and one man remains in custody in connection with the killing of two British soldiers. A total of eleven people were detained without charge for periods of up to fourteen days. Yesterday their detention was ruled unlawful. They were being held under the provisions of Britain's so-called “Terrorism Act 2006”, under which they can be held for up to a maximum of 28 days. Such provisions are unique to places under British jurisdiction within the western world.

ENDS