Ógra collusion camp-out at Divis

Sinn Féin Assembly member for West Belfast, Fra McCann, is calling on the people of West Belfast to support a camp-out at Divis Tower on Friday 9 January organised by Ogra Shinn Féin.

The camp-out is to highlight state collusion in the killings of numerous Catholics and the lack of demilitarisation by the British Government, especially in relation to the British spy posts on the top of Divis Tower.

The British Army and RUC have claimed that the presence of British post on top of the Tower is to protect the Catholic community from unionist paramilitary attacks. McCann, however, points out that numerous local people were killed in full view of the British Army spyposts on top of the Tower and yet nothing was done to prevent the killings or arrest the unionist paramilitaries who carried them out.

Thomas (Toddler) Hughes was shot by UVF gunmen as he sat in his black taxi at traffic lights at the foot of the Tower. Kieran Abram was beaten to death by a loyalist mob armed with clubs spiked with nails. There was also the attack on the Sinn Féin centre at Sevastapol Street by RUC man Allen Moore, when Paddy Loughran, Pat McBride and Michael O'Dwyer were killed.

"Almost ten years after the first IRA cessation, the British Army remains on top of Divis Tower and the truth is the spyposts on Divis Tower have been of no benefit to local people who have been filmed, photographed and spied upon while loyalist killers conveniently escape attention from the British Army," said McCann. "There is no Peace Process for the people of Divis Tower while the British Army continues to spy upon them".

The camp will be in place at Divis Tower on Friday 9 January at 5pm and will last until Saturday 10 January at 2pm. On Saturday, a White Line Picket will be held in Castle Street from 1pm to 1.30pm.

McCann is calling on residents of West Belfast to show their support by attending the protests.