Thousands of participants marched along the Falls Road today [06/08/2022] as part of a yearly event organised by Féile and Phobail.
Now one of the largest community festivals in Europe, the ‘Féile’ as it is known locally, was founded in the late 80’s and quickly gained a reputation as a community orientated series of events. For decades, events were organised and stewarded without outside interference or participation from state forces.
More recently, as support for British policing in Ireland was endorsed by Sinn Féin, the PSNI (formerly the RUC) have adapted a strategy of community integration in order to build support, ably abetted by the same political party. This includes very visible participation at youth centres, schools and community events like the Féile.
Aindriú Mac Ruaidhrí, Lasair Dhearg spokesperson, said, “While walking along the Falls Road today, the sound of drums filled the air as the Féile an Phobail parade had taken off. There are many elements to this parade, especially the local GAA clubs and the amount of young people that take part. Participants also highlighted the plights facing downtrodden peoples across the world, including the Palestinians.
“It’s unfortunate to see that a parade such as this was being led and marshalled by British State Militia. Dressed in their ‘Community Policing’ garb, these are the same friendly faces that boot doors up hallways in the middle of the night and subject children to abuse while heavily armed and wearing combat gear. Today they sat on bicycles not normally seen on the Falls Road, presenting friendly faces.
“It is at moments like this that we should consider the facts. Over the past ten years, more than 374,000 people have been forcibly stopped and searched by the PSNI – the equivalent of one fifth of the population of the Six Counties, with children as young as 13 years of age being subject to such searches. Whilst the PSNI holds the third highest Stop & Search rate for British state forces, it had the lowest arrest rate, corresponding to other figures indicating that the powers it utilises are being overused. More than 35,000 of those that they searched were children.
Aindriú said, “This force has a deliberate and well known strategy of using community organised events in Republican areas in order to ‘normalise’ itself, indeed, this policy is called ‘normalisation’ and is endorsed and implemented at the highest levels of the British state.
“The stop and search statistics of this force are not normal. Their interaction with children outside of managed community events is not normal. Their use of state legislation to forcibly search children is not normal. The deliberate withholding of information through state courts when it comes to the death of children like Noah Donohoe is not normal.
“The question needs to be asked. Why should great community events organised by Féile an Phobail be subject to the deliberate propagandising of a force that wishes to foist itself upon our community? The same community it subjects to continued harassment and political policing.
“Political control of the PSNI will, as ever, rest firmly in Number 10 Downing Street. Their presence at Féile events benefits nobody but the PSNI and their state directed strategy.”
ENDS
