Political policing alive and well in Castlederg

Sinn Fein Cllr Charlie Mc Hugh says that the PSNI has once again shown its true colours in Castlederg in the selective arrest of nationalist youths following weekend trouble in the town which was not only instigated by loyalist youths but in which they were the main aggressors.

Cllr Mc Hugh said,
“The weekend trouble began in Castlederg on Saturday night when a young nationalist was badly assaulted by loyalists outside a Chinese takeaway in the town. On Sunday, the same loyalists made their way up to the nationalist end of the town and fighting ensued with a number of young nationalists who were in the vicinity at the time.

“By the time the PSNI arrived the fighting had stooped and there was an uneasy standoff between two groups. However, the PSNI went and consulted with the loyalist crowd who began pointing out local nationalist youths. True to form the PSNI done the bidding of the loyalists by moving into the nationalist crowd before handcuffing and arresting three nationalist youths (and subsequently arrested a fourth youth).

“Other nationalists who had witnessed these events, and others who had subsequently arrived on the scene, attempted to remonstrate with the PSNI about the completely partisan nature of these policing actions and asking why whenever there is any bother in Castlederg it is only nationalists who are arrested and dragged before the courts. However, these complaints fell on deaf ears as the youths were taken to Strabane barracks.

“This weekends events and the ongoing pattern of overt political policing in Castlederg fit into the comments of a senior PSNI officer in Castlederg barracks when he threatened that he would not rest until every nationalist youth in the area has a criminal record.

“Last December, hundreds of local nationalists converged on Castlederg barracks to protest about the blatantly bigoted actions of the PSNI in the Castlederg area. One year on and the situation has if anything got worse. The spotlight must be now firmly shone on the political and sectarian agenda of the PSNI in Castlederg.”