30 January 1997 Edition
Churchgoers threatened
Parishioners leaving mass at St Patrick's Church, Dungiven in County Derry on Saturday evening, 25 January were threatened by members of the RUC's divisional mobile support unit (DMSU). The incident happened when massgoers confronted an RUC squad assaulting three men who were arrested after an arms find in the town.
According to Sinn Fein's Malachy O'Kane children were screaming in panic when the RUC physically assaulted some of those leaving the church, ``one elderly women was almost run over by an RUC vehicle and was only saved by the intervention of the parish priest who pulled her to safety,'' said O'Kane. The priest was also physically and verbally assaulted by the RUC.
O'Kane said the RUC's intimidation of the churchgoers as ``indicative of this force's naked sectarianism. The Dungiven community as a whole are disgusted by this despicable display of thuggery by the RUC''.
According to Sinn Fein's Malachy O'Kane children were screaming in panic when the RUC physically assaulted some of those leaving the church, ``one elderly women was almost run over by an RUC vehicle and was only saved by the intervention of the parish priest who pulled her to safety,'' said O'Kane. The priest was also physically and verbally assaulted by the RUC.
O'Kane said the RUC's intimidation of the churchgoers as ``indicative of this force's naked sectarianism. The Dungiven community as a whole are disgusted by this despicable display of thuggery by the RUC''.