2.9.04
PRESS RELEASE: 32 County Sovereignty Movement
IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
01/09/04
CONTACT - Andy Martin (belfast32csm@yahoo.com)
32CSM CONDEMNS BRITISH ARMY AD CAMPAIGN.
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has recently been approached by family members and friends of those killed by British State forces to make a complaint against the current screening of British Army recruitment advertisements in some cinemas across the six counties.
In particular a relative approached some of our members in a distressed state after visiting The Strand cinema in Derry on Saturday the 30th August to see a showing of the film ‘The Village’ where prior to the film one such advertisement was screened. Overcome with anger and emotion, the person eventually got up and left the cinema before the main feature.
Spokesperson of the Derry branch of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement,Michael Gallagher stated clearly; “It has been duly noted by many in the Nationalist community that there has been a marked increase in television, poster and newspaper advertisements undertaken by the British armed forces in order to attract Irish people to enlist. To add to this there has also been a tendency for certain local news media and advertising agencies to acquiesce in this activity, some of whom would have undoubtedly refrained from such promotion in the past due to their awareness of the sensitivities involved”.
He went on to say that “the idea that the British military is seeking to recruit Irish people is a sickening and disturbing concept, not only due to the fact that once one joins such an army of occupation you may be used as a weapon against your own community but similarly there is a high possibility that you may be used to torture and murder innocent civilians in one of the many other illegal imperialist ventures in Iraq or Afghanistan”. In conclusion Mr Gallagher asked for all such advertisements to be withdrawn and urged people to make their feelings known in either verbal or written complaints to those who carried such material.
IMMEDIATE RELEASE.
01/09/04
CONTACT - Andy Martin (belfast32csm@yahoo.com)
32CSM CONDEMNS BRITISH ARMY AD CAMPAIGN.
The 32 County Sovereignty Movement has recently been approached by family members and friends of those killed by British State forces to make a complaint against the current screening of British Army recruitment advertisements in some cinemas across the six counties.
In particular a relative approached some of our members in a distressed state after visiting The Strand cinema in Derry on Saturday the 30th August to see a showing of the film ‘The Village’ where prior to the film one such advertisement was screened. Overcome with anger and emotion, the person eventually got up and left the cinema before the main feature.
Spokesperson of the Derry branch of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement,Michael Gallagher stated clearly; “It has been duly noted by many in the Nationalist community that there has been a marked increase in television, poster and newspaper advertisements undertaken by the British armed forces in order to attract Irish people to enlist. To add to this there has also been a tendency for certain local news media and advertising agencies to acquiesce in this activity, some of whom would have undoubtedly refrained from such promotion in the past due to their awareness of the sensitivities involved”.
He went on to say that “the idea that the British military is seeking to recruit Irish people is a sickening and disturbing concept, not only due to the fact that once one joins such an army of occupation you may be used as a weapon against your own community but similarly there is a high possibility that you may be used to torture and murder innocent civilians in one of the many other illegal imperialist ventures in Iraq or Afghanistan”. In conclusion Mr Gallagher asked for all such advertisements to be withdrawn and urged people to make their feelings known in either verbal or written complaints to those who carried such material.
