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Peter McBride campaign is launched by the Centre

In September 1992 18 year old Peter McBride was shot dead after running away from a patrol of the Scots Guards, a British Army Regiment on foot patrol in the New Lodge area of Belfast. Two years later his killers, Guardsmen Fisher and Wright, were sentenced to life imprisonment for his murder. Now a group, led by former British Army officers and aided and abetted by sections of the British media, are campaigning for the release of the two men on the spurious basis that the two have served longer in prison than two other soldiers sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of innocent Irish civilians, Private Ian Thain and Para Lee Clegg.

Peter McBride's family and friends do not have a high profile, well financed campaign led by some of the most powerful people in Britain. They do not have a public relations firm. This is an urgent appeal to support the family at this time. Peter's mother Jean has said the release of the soldiers would mean that "my son's 18 years of existence would be worth nothing". What price an Irish life?

Messages of protest should be sent to:

Also contact your local papers, radio and public representatives. Campaigners on behalf of the two guardsmen have admitted on Scottish TV that: "there has been a reaction from the other side of the Irish sea". Let's make that reaction one that can1t be ignored.
PS If the paper you read supports the Scots Guards....boycott it!

A fact sheet on the case of Peter McBride is available on the PFC main site.
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New developments in the Roísín McAliskey case

The British prison authorities have agreed to downgrade the security category of Irish political prisoner Róisín McAliskey who is being held in Holloway Prison, London following an extradition request from the German government. Roísín is wanted by the Germans for questioning over the IRA's mortar attack on a British military base in Osnabruck. The regrading, from a high risk Category A prisoner to a standard risk Category A prisoner means, according to Joe Costello, the Labour TD who visited Roísín on Friday (7 March), "that the strip-searching which was very intensive up to now is going to be substantially relaxed in the sense that it will only be random strip-searching in the manner applied to the rest of the prisoners." It also means that Roísín will be allowed access to other parts of the prison where she is has hitherto been denied. The future of the child which is expected to be born within the next two months has still not been decided but fresh developments are expected on Thursday (13 March).

There were protests concerning Roísín McAliskey's continued detention in Ireland on International Women's' Day. In Derry's Guildhall Square there was a special stall on Saturday (8 March) which was organised by the Bogside and Brandywell Women's Group. The Women's Group also unveiled a new mural to Roísín at Free Derry Corner on Wednesday (5 March). The mural depicts a yellow rose and rosebud surrounded by barbed wire with the inscription: "Interned without charge - free Róisín and her baby - International Women's Day 1997." A spokesperson for the group said that "we were asking individuals and groups to send flowers or cards to Roísín. We also suggested that people write to the relevant authorities in Britain and Germany". Protests were also held in Strabane and West Belfast.

The Committee on the Administration of Justice (CAJ) has also called for Ms McAliskey's release. Derry CAJ spokesperson Angela Hegarty said the group would also encourage interested individuals to write to the German Government requesting them to withdraw their opposition to bail. "CAJ are gravely concerned at the conditions of Ms McAliskey's detention. We believe there is a serious risk that she may lose her baby. We are convinced that an indication to the court by the German government that it would not oppose the granting of bail, pending the processing of the extradition request, might well persuade the court to accede to her application for bail." The Foyle (ie Derry) branch of Amnesty International has also questioned the reasons why Roísín is being treated in the way she has been.

This week a number of prominent politicians from both Ireland and Britain have questioned the way Roísín McAliskey has been treated and some have asked that she be released on bail. Last Sunday (2 March) it was reported that the former Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds had made a request for German chancellor, Helmut Kohl, to intervene. Kevin McNamara, the former Labour spokesperson on Northern Irish affairs also has called for her release. Peter Temple-Morris, a senior Tory backbencher and Conservative co-chairman of the British-Irish Inter- Parliamentary group also questioned by Róisín was being strip searched so frequently.

On Monday (3 March) the Crown Prosecution Service in London said it was responsible for the refusal to grant bail. In a statement a spokesman said: "We have advised the German prosecutor's office that the terms of the extradition request can only be guaranteed by a refusal to grant bail. During discussions between the prosecutor's office and the Crown Prosecution Service it was agreed that all further decisions, including the enforcement of detention pending extradition, are solely within the competence of the English authorities and ultimately with the English courts."

Anyone who wishes to do so can write to Roísín McAliskey. The address is TG2456, HMP Holloway, Parkhurst Road, Holloway, London N7 DNY.

Visit PFC's Roísín Page or
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Tracking device found on Derryman's car

An elaborate tracking device has been found on the car of local Derry businessman John McVeigh. Mr McVeigh, who runs a taxi firm, became aware of the tracking device when he took his car into a garage to have it repaired.

Subsequently he and his wife and children were held at gun point as armed RUC officers raided his house on Friday (28 Feb) at 3.45 in the morning. Mr McVeigh suffered an assault by RUC officers during which he received an injury. The RUC then recovered the tracking device. They have subsequently refused to comment on the grounds that it was an "operational matter."

Apology not on the agenda say Bloody Sunday campaigners

The case for a new, independent and international inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday have been strengthened by the statements made by paratrooper "John" on the Talkback programme of the BBC, the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign and Bloody Sunday Trust have said in a joint statement, following a meeting between the two organisations.

Tony Doherty, a member of both the Bloody Sunday Trust and the Bloody Sunday Justice Campaign said speaking on behalf of both groups: "Over the past few months the murder of 14 civilians in Derry on Sunday, 30 January 1972 has again come to the fore. With the publication of many of the civilian statements which were ignored by the Widgery Tribunal and the discovery of the original statements made by the soldiers involved in the killings, there is now widespread recognition of the continuing injustice of the present situation. This sense of injustice has been strengthened by the statements made last week by one of the soldiers who was present during the Bloody Sunday killings. We do not know whether this soldier gave evidence to the Widgery Tribunal but what he said exposes once against the totally inadequacy of that Tribunal. We believe that only a new inquiry, independent and international in make-up and with full judicial and legal powers, can be trusted to identify the truth of what actually happened that day.

"With regards to the possibility of an official apology from the British Government we wish to state categorically that as far as we are concerned an apology is not and never has been on the agenda. We have never sought or asked for an apology. What we seek and demand is a full revelation of all the facts and an acknowledgement of the truth about what happened that day and why 14 people were killed and 13 others seriously injured."

RTÉ widely criticised for Drumcree programme

There has been widespread criticism of the decision of RTÉ to show an item on its Prime Time programme in which it alleged that Sinn Féin had orchestrated the opposition to Loyal Order parades in Portadown, Derry, Belfast and elsewhere. The programme, which was shown by RTÉ on Tuesday night (4 March) quoted from what it alleged was a transcript of remarks made by Gerry Adams to an internal party conference in Athboy, Co Meath last November. It claimed he said: "Ask any activist in the North did Drumcree happen by accident and they will tell you 'no'......three years of work on the Lower Ormeau Road, Portadown, and parts of Fermanagh and Newry, Armagh and Bellaghy, and up in Derry." The presenter of the programme then went on to claim that the events of the summer was "a direct result of Sinn Féin organising residents' committees from Derry to Newry, from Rosslea to Belfast's Ormeau Road, to oppose the right to march .

As a consequence of this programme both the BBC and UTV did news items on radio and TV exploring the degree to which these claims could be substantiated. There was almost universal hostile comments made about the programme. In an interview Robin Percival, a member of the Bogside Residents' Group as well as the Pat Finucane Centre on BB Radio Ulster said that: "It is significant that RTÉ have only seen fit to give us an edited version of what Mr Adams is alleged to have said. It is not true that Sinn Féin has been orchestrating the activities of Residents Groups. In Derry, for example, the Bogside Residents' Group has an Executive of eight people, only one of whom is a member of Sinn Féin. The Dunloy Parents and Residents' Association does not have one single member of Sinn Féin on its executive; nor does it have any ex-prisoners on the committee of the association, yet still the Orange Order and Apprentice Boys' Association will not meet with the Residents Group. In this regard it is interesting that RTÉ failed to point out that many of the leading protagonists on the Loyal Order side are members of unionist political parties. The head of the so-called Dunloy Orange Lodge (none of its members actually live in Dunloy) is a former DUP councillor and is standing for that party this May in the local elections.."

Robin Percival went on to say that "Sinn Féin members have always encouraged nationalists and others to channel their rightful anger at the way the communities were treated last summer through the nonviolent and dignified protests organised by the Residents Groups all of whom have executives elected at public meetings. Given the role of SF within the community it would be as surprising to find committees with no SF members as it would be to find similar groups on the loyalist side without members of Unionist parties."

Bishop of Derry and Raphoe calls for dialogue

The Anglican Bishop of Derry and Raphoe, Dr James Mehaffey, has called for dialogue in advance of this year's marching season. He said that there was a feeling of "concern and foreboding" within the wider community. He went on to say that: "it is natural that politicians appeal to their electorate and try to define in very fundamentalist terms where they stand. It's not an easy situation. He then went onto praise both the Apprentice Boys and the Bogside Residents' Group. "The Apprentice Boys, through the local leadership here in Derry, showed remarkable flexibility and willingness to compromise. The Bogside people, I think, drew back from the brink. It could have been a terrible situation here in the city at that time but I think people stepped back a bit and I think we have to encourage them to do that again. There is no viable alternative to discussion which, in reality, involves compromise. The alternative to that is confrontation and violence."

The call for dialogue made by the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe has been echoed by the main Unionist morning newspaper. In its editorial on Saturday (8 March) it wrote that: "the time has come to put anger and bitterness aside and concentrate instead on ways of finding a way forward that will take accounts of the rights of all....If that objective is to be accomplished it will require a fresh approach by wiser counsels."

Stones thrown at Harryville

The RUC arrested two loyalists last night (8 March) following minor disturbances outside the Harryville Catholic Church. The Saturday night mass has been the subject of Orange and loyalist demonstrations for the past five months. During the evening a number of stones were thrown, one of which hit Monica McWilliams on the head. Monica is a member of the Northern Ireland Forum where she represents the Women's Coalition. As it was International Women's Day a number of women's groups, including the Women's Coalition, were attending Harryville to show express their solidarity with members of the congregation. This is but one of several counter-demonstrations that has been organised to confront the Loyalists

Creggan search ends with no explosives found

What the local paper the Derry Journal described as "the largest search seen in Derry in recent years" ended on Monday (3 March) following an intensive weekend of searching and disruption carried out by the security forces. The search began on Friday (28 Feb) with claims by the RUC that an explosive devise had been abandoned in the Creggan estate. The searches were condemned by both Sinn Féin and the SDLP. Former Mayor of the city and leader of the SDLP on the City Council Pat Devine said that:"The people of Creggan and the people of Derry have seen this all before and don't want to see it start up again. The security forces were conducting slow and clumsy searches which resulted in many people being stuck in traffic jams for up to three quarters of an hour. This unnecessarily slow process caused humiliation and anger among hundreds of people."

Birmingham Six may sue Tory MP

The Birmingham Six, who were wrongly convicted of the IRA bombings in Birmingham in 1974 in which many civilians were killed, are considering suing David Evans, the Tory MP for Welwyn and Hatfield. This follows the publication of remarks he made to two schoolchildren who interviewed him for a school magazine. During the course of his interview the two children suggested to him that the Six were innocent. He is reported as saying: "If you believe that you believe anything." He then went on to say that they had "killed hundreds of people before being caught."