Stalked by the PSNI
Just yesterday (Saturday 22/01/2022) two Lasair Dhearg activists, both Public Spokespeople for the organisation, were stalked for several hours and over several miles by the same PSNI vehicle as they made their way into and about Belfast City Centre.
Beginning on the Lisburn Road in the South of the city, the vehicle first passed both activists as they a distance from Derryvolgie Avenue where the passenger of the vehicle leant sharply across the driver and gestured a sarcastic thumbs up to both activists.
Shortly after this, the heavily armoured car stopped, the officers alighted, and indicated to both activists that they were to be subject to a forced Stop & Search which had been authorised by the Secretary of State, including collection of their personal information.
The stop itself lasted several minutes, though the same vehicle and its occupants went on to stalk both activists as they made their way into and about Belfast City Centre, passing them a minimum of 15 times and loitering about the areas within which they stopped.
The PSNI have forcibly stopped and searched over 374,000 people in the past ten years. The equivalent of approximately one fifth of the total population of the Six Counties.
These statistics serve as a reminder to the rest of us to know your rights when faced with a situation such as this:
