3 November 2005 Edition
Large PSNI force greets Ógra protest
Ogra protest
Demilitarisation weekend - Delegates harassed and detained
The annual West Tyrone Ógra Shinn Féin Demilitarisation weekend took place over 21-23 October. It was the fourth weekend highlighting the need for British demilitarisation in the West Tyrone area.
A large crowd gathered in the Sinn Féin offices on the Friday night to hear a talk of the prison struggle by ex-POW, Brian McMahon, currently Sinn Féin Mayor of Strabane District Council.
Saturday saw a presentation by Martin McColgan and Jim Falconer of the Omagh Residents Demilitarisation Committee (ORDC). McColgan outlined the unacceptable level of interference in the everyday lives of people living in close proximity to the Lisanelly Base over the past 30 years. This included noise levels from helicopters, noise from the shooting range, risks to health and the intrusion of cameras and other devices around the base's perimeter.
Following workshops and discussions on how best Ógra could play their part in the demilitarising the British War Machine, Feedback was given with the aim of formulating a demilitarisation strategy for Ógra.
Later, author, playwright, former An Phoblacht Editor and former Sinn Féin Publicity Director Danny Morrison gave a talk on A Life in Struggle which was followed by a question and answer session.
Jim McVeigh addressed delegates on the future of the republican struggle and how he believed that with recent developments, we were on course for a re-unified Ireland of equals. He warned, however, of the dangers of complacency and stressed that this was "not a time for retreat or to do less but rather a time to do more, ensuring the struggle is successfully concluded". Later those attending watched a film on the life of Ché Guevara.
Sunday saw a sponsored walk for Irish unity and a demilitarisation protest at Omagh British Army Camp. A large force of PSNI members taunted protestors and threatened several with arrest.
Returning from the weekend the Ógra Shinn Féin National Organiser and members from Waterford were detained and interrogated by the PSNI.
Commenting on the large presence of crown forces throughout the weekend Barry McColgan said: "The RUC/PSNI were out in force at the protest, many operating hand-held video cameras. Given the history of state collusion with unionist paramilitaries it is of deep concern to protestors that there faces may now be in the hands of a unionist death squad. But if the Branch and RUC/PSNI think by their insults, intelligence gathering and detentions they will deter us, they are wrong.
Ógra members in court
Thirteen months after their arrest, two Ógra Shinn Féin activists John McDermot from Strabane and Daniel Turnbull from Omagh have appeared in court charged with blocking public property and assaulting PSNI members.
At the time of their arrest in September 2004 Sinn Féin in Omagh accused the PSNI of heavy handed tactics after a number of protestors were beaten with batons and the two arrested at a peaceful protest against a British Army PR exercise at the Silver Birches Hotel.
Danny Turnbull was snatched from the crowd by PSNI members who bundled him in to the back of a car. On the way to Omagh Barracks he was subject to sectarian abuse. McDermott was pulled to the ground and assaulted. He too was then bundled into the back of a car and brought to the local barracks. Both men were released after two hours following a protest in which 100 people blocked the main entrance to Omagh PSNI Barracks.
Turnbull and McDermott appeared at Omagh Court House on Friday 28 October. In order to coincide with the appearance, Ógra held a solidarity protest which also aimed to highlight ongoing political harassment by the PSNI. Omagh Town Councillor Martin McColgan attended the protest.
Ógra Six-County Organiser Barry McColgan said: "The ongoing harassment and intimidation of Ógra activists and young nationalists and republicans across the North but especially here in Tyrone is totally unacceptable. I would call on all the main political parties and right thinking people to condemn this ongoing campaign of harassment.
"The petty behaviour of this sectarian, unreformed militia tells us a number of things. Firstly that we do not have the promised new beginning to policing here. Also it lets Ógra know that we must be doing something right, to attract the undivided attention of the RUC/PSNI. They fear us because they fear the future."
McDermott and Turnbull will appear in court again in January 2006.