Thousands of republicans attending rallies in South Armagh, Derry, Cavan/Monaghan and Belfast in recent days have heard the Sinn Féin leadership slam the latest attempts by the British and Dublin Governments to criminalise the republican struggle. Free article

Speaking at a commemoration marking the 20th anniversary of the killing of IRA Volunteers Charlie Breslin, Michael Devine and David Devine by the SAS, Gerry Adams had hard words for those attacking Sinn Féin and vowed that the party would fight this latest criminalisation slur and steadfastly pursue the Peace Process. Free article

Sinn Féin South Belfast MLA Alex Maskey speaking from London on Tuesday following the decision of the British Government to extend sanctions on his party by denying Stormont Assembly allowances for a further 12 months, said that "Paul Murphy has no right to discriminate against democratically elected Irish politicians". Maskey also questioned the claims of the 26-County Government to be opposed to sanctions. Free article

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams MP, Martin McGuinness MP, and Martin Ferris TD in a joint statement issued in Dublin on Monday afternoon, rejected accusations from Justice Minister Michael McDowell that they are members of the IRA's Army Council. Free article

Speaking at Leaders' Questions in Leinster House on Tuesday, Sinn Féin Dáil leader Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin said his party has a "clear and unambiguous commitment to democratic politics and the pursuit of our goals by legal and peaceful means". He said efforts were being made "to spread guilt by innuendo, guilt by association and guilt because of the political views of people and not because of anything they have done". Free article

In the midst of a crisis, there is no better man to deal with it than Sinn Féin's chief negotiator, Martin McGuinness. He is comfortable whether he is dealing with complicated issues as a Minister for Education, whether he is dealing with the best brains the British and Irish Governments can put across the negotiating table from him, or whether he is leading his people in protest. Free article

A recent television documentary, entitled The power of nightmares, identified a transition from the vision of technological and social advancement peddled by Western governments in the 1960s towards scaremongering as a method of social control. The programme makers argued that, as states failed to deliver the economic and political progress promised in the mid-20th Century, governments switched their message away from one of hope towards one of fear. Free article