RUC-PSNI Attempt To Cover Up Brutality
The ability of the RUC-PSNI to deal with civilians in a proper fashion was again shown to be woefully inadequate during events in Derry city on Sunday (September 30).
As revellers left bars in the city centre in the early hours of Sunday morning a fight broke out among a small number of people. The response of the RUC-PSNI to this relatively minor incident was as predictable as it was disproportionate; dozens of people were struck with batons as the area was cleared by the British police force.
As ever, the bullyboy tactics of RUC-PSNI members on the ground was soon followed by the spin of their colleagues in the press office. By Sunday afternoon, the RUC-PSNI press office was reporting that its officers had come under attack from a crowd of 200 people, forcing them to deploy armoured vehicles and riot gear – implements which are normally reserved for patrolling in nationalist communities.
The impression created by the spin-doctors in RUC HQ was one of a rampaging mob intent on destroying all in sight.
However, as local witnesses told their story, the reality of what actually happened on Sunday morning became clear.
One elected representative reported travelling to Shipquay Street early on Sunday morning to view the epicentre of the ‘riot’, and was surprised to find nothing “apart from an overturned council bin”.
Contrary to RUC-PSNI claims, local people witnessed a gang of at least 20 ‘police officers’ attacking bystanders with batons, resulting in injuries to several young men and women.
By Monday, RUC-PSNI Chief Inspector Chris Yates had arbitrarily lowered the level of ‘rioters’ involved to between 50 and 100, while defending the actions of his subordinates.
Éirígí spokesperson Daithí Mac An Mháistír said the actions of the RUC in Derry demonstrated that despite all the alleged reforms carried out in the British police force, they remained nothing more than thugs in uniform.
“Despite the machinations of their press office, the RUC-PSNI are clearly a group who operate as a hostile paramilitary force when encountering large numbers of civilians.
“This force have repeatedly claimed that their operations are lowering the number of night-time assaults in Derry city. However, it is doubtful that their statistics include the number of assaults carried out by their own officers.”
Daithí continued: “When it was proposed several months ago that the nationalist community should, en masse, give their allegiance to policing structures in the Six Counties we in Éirígí pointed out that the RUC-PSNI were an institutionally violent force who could never act in the interests of the Irish people.
“The comments and actions of that force since then have shown our analysis to be correct. The RUC-PSNI is unworthy of the support of any Irish person.”