Almost 200 ‘Know Your Rights’ info cards were distributed at a public meeting yesterday in Belfast’s Conway Mill, which was organised by Lasair Dhearg.
The pocket-sized cards are designed to give basic information and advice to anyone being subject to a forced ‘Stop & Search’ by Britain’s frontline force in the Six Counties, the PSNI.
Belfast Solicitor Michael Brentnall, who was present for the discussion, gave those gathered pertinent advice and guidance, and answered many questions from the floor.
Pól Torbóid, Cathaoirleach Lasair Dhearg, chaired the event and noted that “the PSNI have for many years been utilising draconian legislation as a drag-net for low-level intelligence gathering and for the clear purpose of harassment of community and political activists. So much so that, over the past ten years, the heavily armed force has forcibly stopped or searched over 370,000 people; the equivalent of one fifth of the population of The Six Counties.”
“The PSNI”, he said, “have one of the highest records amongst all British ‘police’ forces in terms of using such legislation for forced ‘Stop & Searches’, and yet, they have the lowest arrest rate; this is another clear indication that the PSNI’s legal powers are over-subscribed and over-used.”
“Worse still, the PSNI’s own statistics show that you are twice as likely to be arrested if you are a ‘Catholic’ and twice as likely to be charged, though the force refuses to record the ‘community background’ of those they subject to forced ‘Stop & Searches’ because they know that those statistics, if gathered, would clearly show that the force is utilising such draconian legislation, almost wholesale, against the Republican community.”
Pól added, “it is timely that our ‘Know Your Rights’ information cards be distributed, after all, to protect your rights, you must know them.”
You can download our digital ‘Know Your Rights’ leaflet by clicking this text.
