4 February 1999 Edition
Checkpoint closures a PR stunt
The announcement that seven border checkpoints are to close and one is to be dismantled has been described as a deception designed to fool people into believing that there would be change said Roslea Sinn Fein councillor Brian McCaffrey.
A British army spokesman explained that troops previously billeted at checkpoints would now be redeployed in the Fermanagh area. Brian McCaffrey, hitting out at the fact that troops were not being withdrawn from the area said, ``in recent days there have been as many as nine RUC/Army patrols in Roslea village on one day. It is clear, given this level of patrolling, that nothing will be changed by closing the border checkpoints''.
Councillor McCaffrey, confirming that a demilitarisation protest arranged for Roslea will go ahead, urged people not to be fooled by the announcement of the `closures'.
A Disband the RUC protest in Roslea last Friday night attracted a crowd of one hundred protestors. The protest, outside the local RUC barracks, was addressed by Councillor Brian McCaffrey and Assembly member Gerry McHugh.
A British army spokesman explained that troops previously billeted at checkpoints would now be redeployed in the Fermanagh area. Brian McCaffrey, hitting out at the fact that troops were not being withdrawn from the area said, ``in recent days there have been as many as nine RUC/Army patrols in Roslea village on one day. It is clear, given this level of patrolling, that nothing will be changed by closing the border checkpoints''.
Councillor McCaffrey, confirming that a demilitarisation protest arranged for Roslea will go ahead, urged people not to be fooled by the announcement of the `closures'.
A Disband the RUC protest in Roslea last Friday night attracted a crowd of one hundred protestors. The protest, outside the local RUC barracks, was addressed by Councillor Brian McCaffrey and Assembly member Gerry McHugh.