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16 January 1997 Edition

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Community workers targeted again

By Mick Naughton

Belfast Sinn Féin councillor Alex Maskey has hit out strongly after the RUC and British army raided the homes of community workers in West Belfast last Thursday 9 January. ``These raids follow a disturbing pattern'', said Maskey. ``They are sanctioned at the highest level''.

In the run-up to Christmas similar raids were carried out in the Ballymurphy, Twinbrook and Andersonstown areas of West Belfast.

The chairperson of the Upper Andersonstown Community group and a committee member were both targeted in simultaneous raids which lasted four hours.

According to community activist Tish Holland the RUC took computer disks belonging to the group which held details of funding applications and children's' computer games they got two weeks earlier as Christmas presents.

``These and the raids before Christmas should be put into context,'' Holland said. ``They are a form of punishment against nationalist communities, but they will not deter us from trying to do something positive for our people. Well-paid RUC members have obviously no idea of what it is like to rear a family in nationalist areas of extremely high unemployment.''
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