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Stop and Search powers in North

category international | rights, freedoms and repression | other press author Friday January 22, 2010 03:13author by campaigner Report this post to the editors

Couple of links highlighting the extent of repressive legislation in the North and the disparity with recent official reports

According to the BBC, the Policing Board is saying that there were 10,000 stop and searches in the 6 counties in the 12 months from 1 April 08 - 31 March 09.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/northern_ireland/8471548.stm

However, I see that eirigi have published more recent figures for nine months 1 January 09 - 30 September 09 which are double that number, ie., over 20,000 stop and searches in 9 months last year.
http://www.eirigi.org/latest/latest210110.html
and also in relation to the EU court ruling last week http://www.eirigi.org/latest/latest120110.html

There has been very little comment on these figures or the EU court ruling.

Its time that all this was highlighted,especially if eirigi's figures are right. Everyone should read these links and write letters, statements etc. Few ordinary people know the extent of this political policing.

author by Stevepublication date Mon Jan 25, 2010 09:23author address author phone Report this post to the editors

There have been at least two attempted murders of police officers - a car bomb led to PSNI officer losing his leg and previous attack resulted in the wife of another officer recieving injuries.
In another incident a .50 calibre machine gun (a heavy weapon used in warfare against aircraft and vehicles) sprayed Crossmaglen barracks with bullets.
There have been numerous attempted vehicle and IED bomb attacks intercepted which could have caused deaths and injuries.
And of course last year a police officer and two soldiers were murdered in gun attacks.
It stands to reason therefore that in order to prevent the acitivities of terrorists and their supporters , who masquerade as civilians, from launching attacks or moving around weapons and explosives, that people are going to be searched by the security forces.

author by iamsampublication date Mon Jan 25, 2010 22:56author address author phone Report this post to the editors

If criminals were not so active in shooting and attacking police officers, dealing drugs and commiting violant crime the searches wouldnt be needed.

Maybe the answer is for RIRA to actually listen to the people and accept democracy.

author by V for vendettapublication date Tue Jan 26, 2010 01:37author address author phone Report this post to the editors

"It stands to reason therefore that in order to prevent the acitivities of terrorists and their supporters , who masquerade as civilians, from launching attacks or moving around weapons and explosives, that people are going to be searched by the security forces."

Thats usually the excuse used for any kind of civil liberty violation you care to name. Where do you draw the line? Technically if you imprison everyone naked in solitary confinement then that is the only way to be sure.( except for the police of course, and our lords and masters and their rich friends )

Terror is a scam. Real terrorism is reduced not by fake security but by honestly addressing the genuine grievances of the terrorists.
Fake security is about maintaining power and control over the citizenry and keeping them frightened and malleable

author by Ardoyne Republican - nonepublication date Tue Jan 26, 2010 09:56author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Republican Network for Unity
Two Belfast RNU Activists arrested by the RUC/PSNI....
Speaking to the Irish News last night; Danny McBrearty (National Chairperson of the Republican Network for Unity) said;

'It is no coincidence that both men arrested are currently taking legal action against the RUC/PSNI concerning the constant abuse of Section 44'.

He also called; 'for the immediate release of both RNU members and an end to political policing in Ireland'.

Related Link: http://www.republicannetwork.ie
author by Keithpublication date Tue Jan 26, 2010 21:14author address author phone Report this post to the editors

So we should roll over and give what every terrorist in the world wants? Thats the answer?

How do you give the IRA a united Ireland while also giving the UDA a divided Ireland? Across the entire globe you have terrorists in complete opposition so please, think and engage your brain before trotting out some tired old mantra

author by V for vendettapublication date Tue Jan 26, 2010 22:11author address author phone Report this post to the editors

Lose the strawman rhetoric and Please show some nuance in YOUR thinking. Addressing the grievances of terrorists honestly does not mean what you say. I suggest you engage YOUR brain and then tell me exactly what the behaviour of the US in Afghanistan, pakistan, and collusion with Israel has achieved?

Then next time you hop on a plane and get a rubber glove up your ass or someone going through your underwear in your luggage, or when your retina and fingerprints are scanned and stored in a criminal database even though you have committed no crime, or when your personal emails are being scanned and retained routinely by government organisations for 3 years+, or when your bare ass is scanned in high resolution by those new airport wavelet scanners and the person operating it is perving or giggling at you, Tell me whether the terrorists have won or not?

The fact is, none of these military / policing approaches will ever solve the problem, only restrict our civil liberties and create more terrorists because of what is being done in their countries. It is clear that there are more terrorists running around hating the US and wanting to kill westerners now than before 9/11 . And protecting against movie plot terrorism is just fake security as suggested by Bruce schnier

http://www.schneier.com/essay-299.html

http://www.schneier.com/essays-airline.html

http://www.counterpunch.org/roberts02042009.html
http://www.counterpunch.org/blum12022008.html

author by Jacqueline Fallonpublication date Wed Jan 27, 2010 23:18author address author phone Report this post to the editors

It is not just the 'stop and search' that ordinary civilians in the 6 counties have to contend with, but some have to endure threats to their lives and homes from MI5 agents and their ever ready assistants in the loyalist paramilitaries.

There will never ever be any form of justice or peace in the six counties whilst British imperialist intelligence agents remain here to threaten the lives and livelihood of Irish civilians, and are aided and abetted in doing so by the so-called 'forces of law and order' in both jurisdictions.

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