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All Possible Restraint?

Portadown nationalists have reacted angrily to the RUC Chief Constable's defence of RUC actions on the Garvaghy Road in July of this year. At a recent meeting of the Police Authority, RUC Chief Constable Ronnie Flanagan stated that "all possible restraint" was used during this year's Drumcree crisis. He went on to add that "the degree of force used to remove protesters from the road was dictated by the degree of resistance shown by protesters."

Local councillors and politicians were quick to respond to Mr. Flanagan's claims. Brid Rodgers of the SDLP said the RUC operation was "totally disastrous and brutal in its implementation. Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition spokesman and councillor, Breandan Mac Cionnaith, argued that "the truth" would soon emerge in court and that legal advisors for the Residents Coalition "will be filing scores if not hundreds of civil law suits."

A recent article in the Irish News estimated that the Chief Constable would be facing more than 200 civil actions by Portadown nationalists. Witnesses against Mr. Flanagan are likely to include a number of prominent human rights activists and politicians. It is thought that - apart from these 200 plus law suits - 6 test cases will also be taken to the European Court of Human Rights.

According to Councillor MacCionnaith, "[t]here are 100 cases pending from civil actions for assault following last year's Drumcree crisis. And there are around 500 cases outstanding following the curfew on the Ormeau Road last year. To date, 14 months down the line, none of those cases has been heard of."

Statements collected by the Pat Finucane Centre also challenge the Chief Constable's remarks. The following statement is just a sample:

There was approximately 120-150 residents within this inner cordon and they sat down on the road in lines linking arms. There were several cordons around them and other residents were physically prevented from entering the area. Within approximately 15 to 20 minutes the cordons had been consolidated and squads of riot police without plastic bullet guns and shields formed up within their own cordon. It was evident that they were going to start removing the residents from the outside of the group.

The senior officer, Superintendent Fitzpatrick, told the residents through a megaphone that they were breaking the law and that they were going to be removed by force. He was greeted with shouts and then the residents began to say the rosary. It was getting light (approximately 5am) when the first squads moved in on the town side of the group of residents. There was a great deal of shouting and screaming as they grabbed each person. I saw people being punched and slapped. I saw several instants of people being kicked while they were being pulled, pushed and dragged through the gap in the RUC jeeps. A number of men, women and children were dragged by their feet along the ground including one red hair girl who was then thrown through a line of RUC with riot shields who were beating other residents outside the cordon. Many residents had their arms and legs twisted. Pressure points holds were put on peoples necks, jaws and joints. I saw one man being stomped on from both the residents and the RUC. I personally heard RUC men calling the residents, "Fenians", "Bastards", "Fuckers", and as one man was hauled through their gauntlet one RUC man shouted "break we've a screaming animal here". He was telling the cordon with riot shields to open their line. Many people were thrown several feet through this line landing on the tarmac.

I saw a number of inspectors screaming at their men "take it easy" and during a mini conference during a lull in the removals several senior officers were talking to Superintendent Fitzpatrick. They were repeating "we've got to take it easy", "slow it down", "they're [i.e. The RUC] kicking them [i.e. the residents] when they get them through the jeeps."

Fitzpatrick turned to a clergyman standing nearby and said "I've instructed the men to go easy." He also said something like "no one is going to get beaten here." As the removals resumed he stood beside me and several times when people were being dragged and were being banged off the grills of the jeeps he said "take it easy." One white shirt moved in front of him and screamed at a group of RUC men who had lightening flashes on the back of their helmets to "take it easy."

Fitzpatrick moved into the middle of a four man squad removing a man who was struggling. I saw him put his hand on one of their shoulders as if for balance and kick the man on the ground around the head or the shoulder. I was less than 10 feet from him.

I said to him "You kicked that man on the ground."

"No I didn't," he replied.

"I just watched you doing it."

"Who are you ... right, out of here."

At this point he tried to reach over to me and steer me into the gauntlet of RUC and out of the cordon. I stepped back and said "you ought to be ashamed of yourself," to which he replied, "could you do it any fucking better?"

The removals lasted for over 90 minutes - each person being systematically targeted and then removed. Several times a stout RUC man with a riot shield and baton came into the residents from the footpath on the far side of the road and beat people with his baton. On another occasion a miniature fire extinguisher on a RUC mans belt was discharged into the faces of several of the residents sitting on the ground.

This past week, both RTE and Channel 4 aired a new documentary on miscarriage of justice victim Gerry Conlon and his life after prison. Conlon, along with 3 others, was wrongfully convicted of IRA pub bombings in Guildford and Woolwich. He spent 16 years in British prisons and his life story was the subject of the acclaimed film In the Name of the Father. The director/producer of the new documentary said that Gerry Conlon hoped that the film "might be some sort of catharsis which would help him get out of the hole he [Conlon] was in at the time and he wanted to raise awareness and understanding of the symptoms of long term imprisonment." Conlon and the rest of the Guildford Four were released in 1989, eight years on and they have yet to receive an apology or proper psychiatric treatment. It also emerged in the programme that a number of the Birmingham Six, victims of another miscarriage of justice, are living on the breadline. We urge readers of our news updates to write to the Home Secretary, Jack Straw (c/o the British Home Office, Whitehall, London SW2 or call him at 0171 2734000) demanding that he address these issues.

The Cloughfern Young Conquerors, the controversial loyalist marching band which clashed with nationalists at this years August 9 parade in Derry, are thought to have been banned from a band parade through Enniskillen town centre following clashes in the town during the 1996 parade. The parade, organized yearly by the Pride of Erne Flute Band, took place on Saturday and featured a number of marching bands. Last year the Cloughfern Young Conquerors paraded through Enniskillen led by a UFF colour party. The UFF is the cover name used by the UDA. One of the members of the Cloughfern band was convicted of the assassination attempt on the Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams.

Meanwhile, it has been reported in the Derry Journal that the Apprentice Boys ruling general committee will meet this coming Saturday to discuss their internal investigation into the trouble at this years August 9 parade. Derry's Mayor Martin Bradley has called for the findings of the investigation to be made public.

The loyalist picket at the Catholic Church of Our Lady in Harryville, Co. Antrim resumed this weekend. A crowd of roughly 100 loyalists picketed the Saturday (20/9) evening mass, continuing a nine month "protest" which had been suspended over the summer months.

Last weekend the RUC prevented the Orange Order from parading through the small nationalist village of Dunloy. Protesters link their protest to the blocking of Orange, Black and Apprentice Boy marches in the nearby village. Nevertheless, many prominent members of the loyal orders - including the Grand Master of the Orange Order and David Trimble -- have called on the protesters to end their picket.

To date, 44 people have been arrested and charged in relation to incidents connected to the Harryville protest. According to the Irish News, the policing bill for the protest has reached £1 million.