PSNI Targets Young Éirígí Activists In Lurgan
Demonstrating that very little has changed on the political policing front in the Six Counties, armed members of the PSNI stopped, searched and attempted to quiz Éirígí activists in Lurgan earlier this week.
The activists were erecting posters in the north Lurgan area around Kilwilke and Lurgantarry. The ‘highly seditious’ posters related to the party's nationwide campaign on housing, as well as on our anti-partition position. The same posters can be seen in towns and cities right across Ireland from Galway to Dublin, and from Limerick to Donegal.
A young Éirígí activist is stopped and searched by the PSNI in Lurgan.
PSNI vehicles drove past the young Éirígí activists several times whilst videoing them before finally coming to a halt. Armed and armour-clad PSNI personnel then proceeded to stop, search and attempted to quiz both activists under Sections 43 and 43A of Britain's Terrorism Act 2000 which, ironically, is also known as 'TACT'.
However, 'TACT' in a Six County context has absolutely nothing in common with the dictionary definition of the same English noun meaning sensitivity, consideration, diplomacy, respectfulness and sensitivity.
A Stop Search information card handed to an Éirígí activist.
For republicans and nationalists in the Six Counties, 'TACT' represents harassment, aggression, intimidation, repression and hostility.
Just like the old Irish Constabulary (which was awarded the ‘Royal’ pre-fix for its role in attempting to suppress the Fenian Brotherhood in 1867) and the RUC with its history of state-sanctioned violence and murder, today's PSNI fulfils the same role required by the British government - one of attempting to quell Irish Republicanism.
British policing in Ireland failed before, just like todays re-branded version will also fail.