13.9.04
Sinn Féin
Anti-Collusion protesters block Strabane PSNI gates
Published: 13 September, 2004
Over 100 anti-collusion protesters blocked the gates of Strabane PSNI station yesterday (Saturday 11th September), to demanding that British government comes clean on its policy of British state collusion with loyalists.
Speaking after the protest Sinn Féin Councillor Brian Mc Mahon said,
"Following the British government's blocking of the independent judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, it is no coincidence that people like Hugh Orde and Denis Bradley have been wheeled out to tell us that we must draw a line in the sand and stop looking for retrospective inquiries.
"Collusion is a can of worms and the Pat Finucane case is the key to opening this can of worms.
"Hundreds of nationalists and republicans have been killed by the Loyalist surrogates of the British government yet this same government still propagates the pretence that it was somehow an honest broker in this conflict
"Collusion with loyalists was controlled and directed from the highest levels within the British government and given practical effect from RUC stations like this one behind us.
"Many of those Special Branch and RUC members who were up to their necks in collusion have not only moved en-masse from the RUC into the PSNI, but now hold more senior positions within this so-called new policing service.
"This issue of collusion, and its resolution, is of central importance to the success of the Peace Process.
"Unless we have the truth and unless the state institutions which facilitated collusion are opened up to democratic scrutiny and accountability the British government will continue to undermine the potential of the Peace Process to succeed." ENDS
Anti-Collusion protesters block Strabane PSNI gates
Published: 13 September, 2004
Over 100 anti-collusion protesters blocked the gates of Strabane PSNI station yesterday (Saturday 11th September), to demanding that British government comes clean on its policy of British state collusion with loyalists.
Speaking after the protest Sinn Féin Councillor Brian Mc Mahon said,
"Following the British government's blocking of the independent judicial inquiry into the murder of Pat Finucane, it is no coincidence that people like Hugh Orde and Denis Bradley have been wheeled out to tell us that we must draw a line in the sand and stop looking for retrospective inquiries.
"Collusion is a can of worms and the Pat Finucane case is the key to opening this can of worms.
"Hundreds of nationalists and republicans have been killed by the Loyalist surrogates of the British government yet this same government still propagates the pretence that it was somehow an honest broker in this conflict
"Collusion with loyalists was controlled and directed from the highest levels within the British government and given practical effect from RUC stations like this one behind us.
"Many of those Special Branch and RUC members who were up to their necks in collusion have not only moved en-masse from the RUC into the PSNI, but now hold more senior positions within this so-called new policing service.
"This issue of collusion, and its resolution, is of central importance to the success of the Peace Process.
"Unless we have the truth and unless the state institutions which facilitated collusion are opened up to democratic scrutiny and accountability the British government will continue to undermine the potential of the Peace Process to succeed." ENDS
