Below is a photo of the PSNI ‘community policing’ team, who often attend schools and youth clubs in an effort to normalise the armed force. These types of interactions are often facilitated by constitutional Nationalist political parties that endorse the organisation.
In recent months Lasair Dhearg have highlighted the draconian legislation used by the PSNI. It is a highly politicised organisation that represents the blunt end of British state interests in Ireland. Often through community policing teams as a friendly face and one to be ‘trusted’ .
Our communities know otherwise, including our most vulnerable members; children.
Recent figures have shown that 35,000 children were subject to draconian stop and search legislation by the PSNI, between 2011 and 2019. During some of these stop and searches approaches were made to “recruit” young people into becoming informants.
Britain has always deployed a wide range of tactics in order to maintain its occupation of Ireland. From bribery, betrayal, coercion, negotiation and blackmail; these tactics and more have all been utilised by the British state at various times throughout history in order to suppress the right of the Irish people to self determination.
More recently, one of their main tactics has been Public Relations. St Teresa’s YC, local schools and Universities who willingly allow these gunmen to interact with children in what should otherwise a safe space for education, learning and social interaction, are knowingly allowing children to be used as tools in British state efforts to appear ‘normal’ in Ireland.
We call on these community organisations to reconsider and amend their position regarding British state organisations such as the PSNI interacting with children.
