Newry Republican Youth

Comrades in recent times there has been an upsurge in terrorist attacks inflicted against the Republican Community across the occupied 6 counties.This terrorist activity is being conducted by the RUC/PSNI in conjunction with the British Establishment and with the full support of the Provisional Movement. Over the past 12 months we have seen numerous raids and arrests, harrassment and intimidation.This time last year the RUC/PSNI accompanied by the British Army placed the Republican Community in Derrybeg/Carnaget undersiege for 3 full days, during that time the RUC/PSNI harrassed community workers, broke into the homes of community activists, vandalised the communities play park facilities, orcestrated a riot, and baton charged innocent childen. If they thought the Republican Youth from the area were going to sit back and watch their people suffer they couldn't have further from the truth. The DRY battled with the crown forces for 3 full days with bricks bottles paint bombs and petrol bombs. It has since became known as the "Battle of the Beg". All sorts of groups condemned the actions of the RUC/PSNI, from the Derryeg Community association, The Derrybeg Community Watch group, Republican Sinn Fein and the 32 County sovriegnty Movement. The only group that didn't condemn the RUC/PSNI was Provisional Sinn Fein.

Also during the year the Republican Community in Lurgan/Craigavon also came under attack from the forces. Faced with raids, riot police, intimidation and harrassment the Republican Youth from the area took to the streets and defending their community from these terrorists. During this incident Republicans also launched a blast bomb and sniper attack on the crown forces.

There were also operations carried out against the crown forces by Republicans including a number of RUC/PSNI personnell being shot,also there were bomb attacks such as the undercar bomb in Castlederg and the landmine attack in Fermanagh as well as the recent rocket attacks.

Another area which has suffered at the hands of the RUC/PSNI recently is the village of Mayobridge just outside Newry. In October the SDLP (Stoop Down Lower Party) Invited the Crown forces, along with the pointless DPP and various Brit sponsered Community safety groups into the village to discuss increasing RUC/PSNI patrols in the area. But after another week or so of patrolling they started throwing their weight about, harrassing everyone who looked young. ALL of the young people, no matter what age, were questioned and had all of their details taken, and even threatened with arrest or ASSAULT if they refused to comply.\line They started being sectarian towards the youths too. Saying things like "You're all just trouble-makers. Would ya not kill yourselves like Bobby Sands did?" and "Them boys don't scare us. Sure why would we worry about a few dissidents?" and "Ya need a history lesson, we didn't surrender our guns, you's did." Then, on Hallowe'en the RUC came out in full force. Riot gear n' everything. They started harrassing youths as usual, telling them to go home and they were going to arrest them for "J-walking" even though they weren't on a road and when the youths refused to comply, they assaulted and arrested two of them. Badly bruising them with their batons. Then a riot broke out and two more youths were assaulted and arrested. The same officers came out the next day, searching through fields and local people's gardens, not giving a reason why. (Obviously looking for petrol bombs/fireworks etc.) When I asked one of the officers the next day if he was proud of himself for beating up a 17 year old, he said "You come out tonight and you'll get the same." and when I asked him was I being threatened he just said "Yeah why?"
As the saying goes comrades " Long runs the fox"  for on the 28th January 09 the Republican Youth in Mayobridge Not only struck a blow to the crown forces they also embarrassed the hell out of them when they launched an attack on a crown personnell vehicle that was parked outside a meeting of the DPP which resulted in the enemy vehicle being torched. We applaud the actions of our fellow Young Republicans in Mayobridge.

On the 27th January the Crown forces supported by the Provisional Movement raided 10 homes in the Ardoyne area of North Belfast, the homes raided included belonged to community workers those of a widow who lost her husband through RUC/PSNI collusion with the UVF and a terminally ill pensioner.

On the 28th January the RUC/PSNI descended on the Derrybeg estate in Newry accompanied by 8 armoured landrovers and2 unmarked cars. They raided the homes of local Republicans and arrested a man. the  Republican Youth again attacked them until they withdrew from the area with their tails between their legs.

On the 29th January the Crown Forces continued their reign of terror by siezing a number of vehicles in Fermanagh, they also threatened harrassed and intimidated community workers in the Carrick Hill area of Belfast and arrested a community activist after a shooting incident.

Collousion between the RUC/PSNI is also happening and this was proved in the recent case of RUC/PSNI employee Aaron Hill who was passing information on catholics to UVF member Darren Leslie Richardson. The information was taken from the RUC/PSNI computer database.

Comrades this is political policing at it's best supported by those who should know better, where are the statements of condemnation from P$F about these incidents?
 
Newry Republican Youth will continue to oppose the Crown Forces and our aim for the next year is to educate and get more young Republicans involved in Republican politics. This will be an immense task due to the unfortunate success of the British Normalisation policy but we will meet this obstacle head on.

We will end with a quote that sums up the work we do and the importance of Republican Youth groups

"Everyone, Republican or otherwise, has their own particular part to play. No part is too great or too small; no one is too old or too young to do something"

 The following is an article published in the Sovereign Nation newspaper in February 2008

On the 5th and 6th of February the British Colonial Police force launched an attack on the Republican Community in Newry which started the worst riots in the area in over 15 years. In the Derrybeg/Carnaget the RUC/PSNI went on a rampage of destruction and chaos which included breaking into peoples homes, smashing bottles and throwing paint around. We also witnessed them manhandling a young boy in his school uniform in to the back of an armoured landrover for refusing to give his name to a cop dressed in riot gear.

The Republican Youth in the Derrybeg area launched a sustained attack on the crown forces which continued for several hours before they were forced to pull out from the area. We would just like to point out that the RUC/PSNI had no reason to be in the Derrybeg area and a senior cop has admitted that they were only in Derrybeg to draw in youths from the area they were searching in Carnaget. So in otherwords the RUC/PSNI planned to have a riot in Derrybeg!

In the early hours of Wednesday morning theRUC/PSNI returned to Derrybeg and smashed their way into the home of a Community Activist with a sledgehammer, they then realised that not only were they at the wrong house but they were in the wrong estate!

In the afternoon a number of residents including children were watching the RUC/PSNI operation from the Camlough Rd. Within minutes they were being baton charged by about 10 RUC officers in full riot gear. The RUC/PSNI then went and vandalised a kids play park by throwing tins of paint around it. They also tried to confiscate a camera from a Community Activist who was taking photos of the police causing this destruction. During all this the new RUC/PSNI helicopter hovered over the estate.

The police have admitted that the reason they were in Derrybeg was to draw young people out of the Parkhead area so they could continue with their search. It is unbelievable that the police actually orchestrated and planned this riot in an attempt to damage the good people and name of Derrybeg.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning the police went to the home of a resident who is a member of the Community Association. They smashed their way into his house with a sledge hammer and when he confronted them they said they got the wrong houseand left without even an apology.

In the afternoon they returned to the estate dressed in full riot gear complete with helmets, batons and shields. They proceeded to Baton chargea number of terrified young people including girls who were watching the police operation from the Camlough Rd bus shelters. We must stress that none of these youngsters were throwing anything at the time and this incident was captured on video by a member of the Community .

The police then ran into Second Avenue with their batons and shields and went over to the kids Play Park were they threw tins of paint all over place. They then walked back up Second Avenue towards the bus shelters were they lifted another tin of paint and threw it over the footpath and wall outside a pensioner's house. A member of the Community was taking photographs of these incidents and the police unsuccessfully attempted to confiscate his camera. This was nothing but sheer vandalism and harassment!

We haven't witnessed scenes like this since the 80s and we totally condemn the actions of the police who had NO REASON WHATSOEVER TO BE ANYWHERE NEAR DERRYBEG. The blame for any trouble lies squarely with the RUC/PSNI for vandalising our area, harassing residents, Community workers and provoking our young people.

And here is an article published in the Newry Democrat along with a statement issued by the local Provisional SF Councillor Marian Mathers who lives in Derrybeg.

Derrybeg based Sinn Fein councillor Marian Mathers told the Democrat that she had contacted the PSNI in relation to their presence in the estate following complaints from local people.

According to councillor Mathers, she was told that the police were in Derrybeg to draw youths away from the Camlough Road.

"I spoke to some of the young ones and asked them to refrain from what they were doing, especially because there was traffic on the Camlough Road and I got reports of a bus being struck in the crossfire," she said. "However, they didn't stop until the PSNI withdrew from the area. Most of them were only 12 or 13 years of age. There was nothing political behind it, I think they just saw the chance for whatever fun they were getting out of it. There was nothing sinister about it."

 Ms Mathers declined to comment on whether or not she viewed the youths' actions as understandable.

Marian Mathers was not present during the incident on Tuesday she hid in the house and phoned the RUC/PSNI. And on Wednesday when she "spoke to some of the young ones and asked them to refrain from what they were doing" they rightfully ignored her and continued to defend their area which shows the lack of authority she and PSF have in the area.

You can clearly see how she is avoiding the seriousness of these incidents. Why didn't she confront the RUC/PSNI and ask them to refrain from what THEY were doing?

For two days the British forces had our communities under siege, at one stage we counted 17 armoured landrovers, 2 British Army Lorries and the new RUC/PSNI chopper. They kidnapped our people, broke into peoples houses, vandalised our community's facilities and harassed our young people.

Fair play to the Republican Youth of Newry who battled with the British Crown Forces when they and their community came under attack.

Maybe the enemy will think twice next time they try to attack the Republican Community in Newry!