British Army Active in Fermanagh

fermanagh | rights, freedoms and repression | press release

Thursday July 30, 2009 15:30

by PRO - éirígí

press at eirigi dot org

éirígí general secretary Breandán MacCionnaith has expressed deep concern at the activities of the British army in Fermanagh after it emerged they had been involved in the recent harassment of people in the county.

On the night of June 24, two local men were stopped, held and assaulted at a checkpoint manned by the PSNI and other, unidentified, armed men. Those unidentified armed men were traveling in unmarked civilian vehicles. The next day, the men were arrested under so-called anti-terrorism legislation, while much of the rural area of Boho was locked down as houses were raided and farm land sealed off. The men were later release without charge.

Now, independent republican councilor in Fermanagh Bernice Swift has revealed that she has been directed to go through the British army in her attempts to get compensation for Boho residents whose property was damaged during the Crown Forces’ operation.

MacCionnaith said: “There was a lot of hype surrounding the ending of the British army’s Operation Banner in the Six Counties in 2007. At the time, it was proclaimed by many people that this was effectively the end of the British army’s involvement in Ireland.

“Yet, two years later, the British army is in County Fermanagh setting up road blocks, assaulting people, raiding homes and denying people access to their places of work. The British army’s involvement in Ireland is obviously not at an end. This is why Operation Banner was replaced by Operation Helvetic.

“A number of months ago, Hugh Orde announced that the British army’s Special Reconnaissance Regiment was again, if it had ever gone away, operating in the Six Counties. The incident in Fermanagh provides ample evidence that the PSNI are working hand in glove with these regiments.”

MacCionnaith continued: “The nationalist representatives on the Six County Policing Board who found themselves impotent in the face of Hugh Orde’s SRR announcement need to face up to the facts. The PSNI is not a civic police service and never will be – in areas like Fermanagh, it is actively colluding with the British army in operations against nationalist communities.

“On August 8, éirígí will be making it clear that the British army and their colleagues in the PSNI are not welcome in County Fermanagh or any other part of Ireland.”
ENDS.

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Comments (4 of 4)

This article should be sent to 'no borders' Bristol or just published as news for the Bristol IM

by aboogala

Sun Aug 02, 2009 18:22

The conquest of Ireland in 1168 AD by the English army has been met with resistence in each and every generation since. Ireland was the first colony of the English Empire . One would suppose with the arrival of the New millenium, that in the interest of liberation and enlightened state craft the British army would let Ireland go, so the Irish people could govern themselves again and restore their raped and torn matriarchy. by electing woman equally. It is a fact that Ireland will be free of foreign contol, and howerver long it takes. England has not learned that lesson yet, and one wonders how long will it take till they do, and how many lives will be lost because they are to ignorant to leave when the whole world knows it is they subverting Irish freedom and independence.

When did we vote on this then?

by Finton Stack

Sun Aug 02, 2009 19:20

"éirígí will be making it clear that the British army and their colleagues in the PSNI are not welcome in County Fermanagh or any other part of Ireland"

How nice of them to speak for the entire population of Ireland.
I must have missed the referendum where the people of the country all voted to say that the PSNI aren't welcome in Fermanagh or indeed any part of Ireland. Maybe it would be advisable to do such a thing beforec speaking up on behalf of the masses. But there again if they did they might not like what they found.

Brits go home

by Redundant Republican

Sun Aug 02, 2009 20:10

In this wee country,we are still playing the pretend that everything is ok game. The peace process has delivered? Delivered only hyprocrisy. The war is over and from a republican point of veiw- the war was lost. The Brits are still here and secterianism lives. SF members laugh and joke privately at reports of British army deaths in Iraq and Afganistan yet their public persona is to pretend to support British law and order in Ireland. No referendum gave authority for the British army to operate in Ireland. Go home lads,the war is over but hurry on to your other wars in this world.

all the political courage of rats abandoning a sinking ship

by a little too late breandan

Sun Aug 02, 2009 21:54

Thank you breandán and eirigi for letting us know that the brits are in fermanagh, we'd have never have guessed. We know they are and knew there were going to be in all six counties for the foreseeable future mainly because you and the rest of your group helped bolster up the adams leadership and spent so long being good provos attacking those who left on principle in 86 and 97, but no principles were the cause of eirigis formation eirigi was formed by a few people who FINALLY saw the provo project for the sinking ship it is and eirigi are the rats leaving that sinking ship. yet the provo project couldnt have gotten where it is without them.

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British Army Active in Fermanagh

Comments (4 of 4)