9 June 2005 Edition

Western Sahara's freedom struggle

9 June 2005

The people of Western Sahara are still struggling for their right to self-determination and to be able to live in peace in their own land. After decades of Spanish colonial rule, they had to put up with over 30 years of occupation by Morocco. For 17 years, the Saharawis (people of the Sahara), as they call themselves, fought against Morocco's army. It was international mediation and the promise of a self-determination referendum that brought a ceasefire in 1991. Fourteen years later, the Saharawis are still waiting for the UN to fulfil its commitments. Free article

Gerry Adams engaged in dialogue with Bertie Ahern

9 June 2005

Sinn Féin confirmed this week that Gerry Adams has held a number of meetings with the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern since they met in Washington on St Patrick's Day. The meetings were held at Gerry Adams' request. Sinn Féin has also met with British Prime Minister Tony Blair. Free article

PSNI attack Ballymena protestors

9 June 2005

North Antrim Sinn Féin MLA Philip McGuigan has accused the PSNI of "behaving in typical sectarian fashion" after PSNI riot squads attacked nationalists protesting against a loyalist parade through a mainly nationalist part of Ballymena on Saturday night, 4 June. Free article

Video attack officer 'repositioned'

9 June 2005

A PSNI member caught on video camera attacking a young woman during an arrest operation in the Waterside area of Derry in the early hours of Saturday 30 April has been, as the PSNI put it, "repositioned to non-operational duties", pending its investigation and that of the Police Ombudsman. However, campaigners have called for action to be taken against other PSNI members featured in the footage. Free article

Loyalists use electoral information to target

9 June 2005

Two Sinn Féin supporters' homes and a car in Coleraine were attacked by unionist paramilitaries at around midnight on Monday 6 June. The names of those targeted appeared on a list of ten people circulated in the County Derry town over the last number of days and has raised concerns that the loyalists involved may be planning more attacks. Free article

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Bandsmen try to stir sectarian tensions

9 June 2005

Sinn Féin has slammed a loyalist parade along the Suffolk Road in West Belfast after a number of bandsmen shouted sectarian slogans and made offensive gestures to nationalist residents in an attempt to create trouble on Saturday last. Free article

DUP superbigots in flags row

9 June 2005

Sinn Féin councillor Paul Butler is accusing the DUP, the dominant party on Lisburn City Council, of promoting sectarianism and alienating nationalists in the city after they voted at a council meeting on Tuesday 31 May to fly the Union flag permanently on all council flagpoles. Free article

Eastern Europeans attacked

9 June 2005

A ten-year-old schoolboy escaped injury and a Polish family had their car burned out in the latest string of racist attacks in County Armagh. In the first attack just before midnight on Wednesday 1 June, pipe bombs were put through the letterbox of two houses at Brooke Manor and Milltown in Ahorey, near Richill, County Armagh. Free article

Fear of renewed loyalist feud after man is shot

9 June 2005

FEARS of renewed loyalist feuding have emerged after a man, abducted from a filling station forecourt, was found shot in the chest in a graveyard in County Down at 2.30am on Monday 6 June. The 26-year-old was found at Redburn Cemetery in Holywood by the PSNI after a resident heard a single shot and the shot man's cries for help. Free article

Education crisis deepens

9 June 2005

"Sinn Féin is aware that there is unprecedented alarm across civic society at the deepening crisis within the Education system and this is the message we will carry into our Ministerial meetings." So said the party's spokesperson for Education, Michael Ferguson, as he led a delegation to meet with Barry Mulholland Chief Executive of the Western Education & Library Board, at its headquarters in Omagh at the weekend to discuss the funding crisis in education caused by British Government cutbacks. Free article


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