6 On Tuesday 28 October, four of us from Nottingham were returning from the Sinn Fein annual conference in Dublin. The ferry arrived at Liverpool at about 7am. We were just about to drive off in our van when we were stopped by four plain-clothes policemen. They snatched the keys out of the ignition and told us to get out of the car and follow them. No reasons were given at this stage.
a Land-Rover and taken to Bridewell Prison. Still no explanation. When we got to Bridewell, all our belongings were taken and we were shoved into separate cells.
Mine was in a filthy basement about 12 feet by 8, with no heating or ventilation. in one corner was a broken toilet, full to the brim with excrement. The stink was terrible. In the other corner was a piss-soaked mattress with a piece of horse blanket on top.
I complained about the smell from the toilet but was told that its contents were suitable company for an Irishman. I was left alone in the cell for about two hours; then a couple of Special Branchers came in and started to question me. PATRICK BREEN is chairman of Nottingham Sinn Fein. Last week he was arrested under the Prevention of Terrorism Act - which is due to be renewed later this month - and held for more volved, where they held their meetings, etc? These questions were repeated over and over again.
After they had gone I was taken out to be photographed and fingerprinted. It was at this point that I was beaten up. Three policemen held me while another did me over. They were obviously experts at this - they knew how to hurt without leaving any marks.
I was then taken back to another cell which again had a broken toilet, and it was in this cell that I spent the remaining three days and two THRES. There were no washing facilities in the cell at all, and I had to use the broken toilet with no paper.
I didn't move from that cell the ****************** The Bloody Sunday Commemoration Committee, formed to build for a massive demonstration on 1 February 1976, is already beginning to attract broad sup port. Joan Maynard mr, william vison MP and Pat Arrowsmith are among those who have agreed to sponsor it.
The Committee meets each Tuesday at 7.30pm in the University of London union. Malet st. we ****************** whole time. It was terrible. The questioners came back four or five times during the three days and repeated the questions. They also threatened me with deportation, and I said that I wasn't really boththe Thursday, I was told I was going to be let go.
gave us back our things - minus they had ever had - and told us police station about six or seven start walking. ment was to step carefully lads, before long'.
wasn't released until the Friday, far as I know, two of the Luton Higgins - are still being held. It's absolutely disgusting that innno charges ever being laid, for the simple reason that we're Irish and open supporters of Sinn Fein.
ed us about the Troops Out Movethe Prevention of Terrorism Act is on the statute book, anyone who land is automatically labelled as a any time. We must do everything we can to ensure that this Act is repealed without delay.9 raffles; surprises. - someCommemoration Committee.
the people are solid Republican into the 'hole in the road game'.
They finally let three of us out at about 5pm. They my Parker pen, which they denied that our van was at the Lower Lane miles away, and that we had better Their parting comfor you'll be coming this way again The fourth member of our group along with two from Luton who had been picked up the day after us. As people - Jimmy Reilly and Maureen COMPLAINT The National Council for Civil Liberties have agreed to take up our case, and we've also lodged an official complaint with the Irish Embassy.
ocent people can be picked up like this, kept in filthy conditions with The fact that they also questionment is ominous as well. As long as disagrees with British policy in Irecriminal and likely to be picked up at lican organisation.
AN IRISH SPECTACULAR An action packed evening full of entertainment of all sorts, featuring: folk mu sic; speeches; drink; dance; poetry; discussions, sees sco, street teare Saturday 15 Nov, 6.30-11.30pm Central London Poly SU, Bolsover St, from organising.
W.1. All proceeds to Bloody Sunday "The British Army could never control South Armagh because - anti-British or pro-Irish however you want to take it.? That is what Paddy Short, unofficial spokesperson for the people of Crossmaglen, told Bob Purdie in an interview with Red Weekly two months ago. Since then the people of Crossmaglen have had ample opportunity to prove just how right Paddy Short was.
Only a few weeks ago Crossmaglen was invaded by the British Army - indeed the invasion forces far outnumbered the inhabitants, and widespread arrests and harassment followed. The exercise was clearly designed to cower Crossmaglen's population and impress the Loyalist 'mine the border' merchants. To the British Army's disgust, however, neither ob jective was really achieved. Anything less than the public execution of a few Crossmaglen citizens is unlikely to im press people who for four years now have been calling for martial law to be imposed in this area; what is more, the people of Crossmaglen have once more entered with gusto The Ulster Loyalists have never felt very happy about the security of the border. There have always been those amongst them who have felt that some sort of Berlin wall should be erected along the winding frontier with the 26 After all, they 'reason', if such a barrier — manned or course ov scout range daces ae existen cue vous then they might have been able to stop Fenians such as Sean Lemass from driving up to see O'Neill in Stormont. And isn't that the real root of the present trouble?
SOME LOYALIST SUCCESS The Loyalists have had some success with this campaign. The British Army weren't too keen on a wall or a fence (had not the rebels got out of Crumlin Road and Long Kesh despite the concrete and barbed wire?) No, the British Army thought the best policy would be to blow up the roads that criss-cross the border. So a couple of years back, early in the morning, groups of British Army sappers arrived on the border and proceeded to gelignite the roads. But the local people weren't really all that keen on the idea, and no sooner had the Armv blown a hole in the road than dozens of lads and lasses would fill it in again. And this would happen maybe a dozen or more times until the Army desisted. The following statement was issued by the Belfast branch of the Revolutionary Marxist Group (Irish section of the Fourin international on i NovemDer.u snould be noteo that me uo in egoer snip or the Utricials nas appealed tor no retaliation, and has denied responsibility for the murder of Seamus McCusker - a leading Belfast Provisional - last Friday.
The Belfast branch of the RMG strong iv protests at me campaian or violence directed against Republican Club mem bers by the Provisional IRA over the past week. We call on the Provisional IRA to desist immediately from these attacks on members or anoner meDur The RMG condemns these attacks not because it supports the activities of the Official Republican movement, but because we deueve inat violent contici between anti-imperialist groups bene fits no-one but imperialism itself. For the same reason, earlier this year we denounced the Official IRA for physicany atacking te iris republican social ist Party and attempting to prevent it We pointed out at the time that such activities will achieve nothing but to in again It's never too late to learn port from two other UVF battalions.
day 27 October the following events took place.
Somerton Road.
Larne:
homes at Victoria Road and Lina Road.
the town.
Loyalist para-military group.
"cause confusion and demoralisation and alienate support not only for the groups involved but for the Republican and left-wing movement as a whole.
The RMG regrets that it is necessar to reiterate these sentiments and to dir ect tem at an organisation that nas played such a major role in the struggle against British imperialism. The RMG is not in a position to weigh the claims made by the Provisional IRA that it struck against 'criminal elements only': neither is the anti-Unionist population as a whole If the Provisional IRA has evidence to substantiate its claim, then it should present it to the nationalist people and dhow the latter to deciae on the rejec tion of this group. The Provisional IRA has no mandate to usurp this right of the nationalist people and to set it self up as prosecutor, judge and executio or within the nationalist community Faced daily with the repression of the British Army and assassinations by the Loyalists, the nationalist community requires urgently a militant unity of all anti-imperialist groups. It cannot afford the events of the past week.
Anyway, some months ago, there was a rash of sectarian assassinations in North Armagh, in the notorious murder triangle. These were carried out by Loyalist para-military groups, and Loyalist politicians in the area responded by proffering as the solution the enforcement of martial law in South Armagh and the mining of the border roads. Ever ready to please, the british Army once again started to dvn amite the roads and the people of Crossmaglen filled them This has currently been going on for about a month now; but it seems that the Army are finally getting the message. In the Irish Times (29 October) it was reported that the Army's view now was that the situation should 'be allowed to die down. Perhaps there is some truth in the old saying The canonisation of Oliver Plunkett in Rome, and the kid. napping or the Daren mauscranst herrema, nas given the media and press here the opportunity to push the activities of the Loyalist para-militaries into the background. However, though it may no longer be getting the headlines, the sectarian murder campaign of the UVF and its affiliated groups continues unabated. Last week the mid-Ulster bat talion of the UVF reiterated its commitment to the slaughter of 'innocent Roman Catholics' and received immediate supThis lays to rest any theory that the recent change of leadership within the UVF will lead to a 'turn to polities and the end of the assassination campaign. Indeed, on MonBelfast: a 23-year-old Catholic was shot in the neck, stom ach and leg while visiting his brother-in-law's home on the two cylinder bombs were thrown into Catholic Newry: a Catholic was shot in the thigh in North Street.
Portglenone: two armed and masked men raided Ballineese Catholic Hall and forced a man to drive a bomb into The same night a 40-year-old Protestant man was shot on the Shankill Road, probably as a punishment shooting by a
----- pull-quotes -----
SEPARATE CELLS We were pushed into the back of
than two days before being released with no charges against him. His experiences cast a vivid light upon the real purposes behind the Act, as he explained to Red Weekly.