PRC-UTE
14th November 2005, 01:14
Political Policing
By Ex-INLA POW Willie Gallagher
On Thursday 27th October 2005 a series of raids directed at Teach na
Failte, an ex-INLA prisoners group, began at 11.00am. A total of 40
PSNI land rovers, 25 armored PSNI cars, 8 4x4 jeeps and 12 vans were
used in the operation. A total of 23 homes, 2 business premises and
the TnF office were raided in Strabane. The TnF office in Belfast was
also raided. One third of the homes had their doors sledged in and
several houses were in effect trashed. Most of the homes but not all
belonged to members and workers from TnF, past and present. Most of
the warrants were similar in nature...money laundering, financial
documents and computer equipment. Computers and files relating to
hundreds of participants who partook in courses to enhance their
employment prospects were seized. Confidential details of
participants, which had absolutely no bearing to the stated reason on
the search warrants, were also seized. Telephones, fax machines, CVs,
certificates of achievement, job applications and funding applications
were also taken. Some of the people who haven't worked for TnF for up
to 3 years and who through the assistance of TnF gained long term
employment also had to endure the painful experience of having their
homes broken into. The PSNI stated that money and cigarettes were
seized during the raid giving the impression that these items were
taken during the house raids. None of these stated items were found in
any of the homes, offices or business premises that were searched but
were in fact seized from a person who drove his van into a cul-de-sac
where one of the raids was taking place.
My home was one of those raided by the PSNI who stated that they were
looking for evidence of money laundering, firearms, munitions and
scanners. The CID officer in charge told me that they knew they would
find nothing and apologized for the raid. Despite moving my computer
from one side of the room to the other they forgot to take it with
them. The raid had only begun when Channel 9 news phoned me asking why
I was getting raided. Twenty minutes later a press photographer was
taking photographs of my home. He quickly left the area after being
confronted about his actions. The PSNI took a credit union book, which
they seized last year after my arrest for the Ulster Bank robbery, as
well as all photographs and post cards I had from a trip to Cuba and
other documents relating to Cuba and Teach na Failte. The PSNI
personnel involved in raiding my home were unusually polite and
apologetic unlike during the vast majority of the raids elsewhere
where they were aggressive, abusive and in one case assaulted a man
knocking him to the ground from his wheelchair. They left just after
two hours from their invasion. The whole PSNI operation lasted for
just over 12 hours and was directed against TnF.
I have no doubt that this State operation was a part of a strategy
outlined last year in the Belfast Telegraph by 'security
correspondents' who stated that there was going to be "an
unprecedented attack on those believed to be involved in the Ulster
Bank robbery and this attack is going to manifest itself in various
manners". I also have no doubt that it was a propaganda exercise in
order to further demonise, isolate and marginalise anti-GFA
republicans. Six weeks before the raids TnF went through a government
audit, which, like previous audits, went to their satisfaction. If the
PSNI were really interested in TnF and its activities, it's all on
record with the NIO except for actual participants and their
confidential files which has led some to believe that the PSNI
operation was an intelligence gathering exercise though I believe it
was much more than that. I further believe that those behind this
assault on TnF are pissing in the wind and will fail in their objectives.
The PSNI and their political masters have in effect closed TnF down
with 6 full time workers and 8 part time workers will now be forced
onto the dole queue or find employment elsewhere. One would be
forgiven for thinking these job losses did not happen as elected
representatives have uttered not one word of condemnation. Had 14
workers attached to an English or American multi-national company been
made redundant in such a manner I am sure the same politicians would
have had a lot to say. Perhaps the MPs and MLAs were too busy counting
their huge expenses and salaries they receive for sitting on their fat
arses doing nothing whatsoever for the people. Maybe some of them were
too busy talking to their dogs in the street. Whatever their reasons
the message TnF has been receiving from hundred of past participants
is very clear 'Business as usual' and we just aren't going to go away
you know.
Many commentators have stated that this PSNI operation was the largest
in the history of the North West and one of the most aggressive, yet
Sinn Fein, the so-called champions of an Ireland of all equals, had
nothing to say. Personally this comes as no surprise as equality and
human rights is not on SFs agenda for anti-GFA republicans. It also
comes as no surprise due to the fact that the leadership of the
Provisional Republican Movement know that a number of individuals
connected with them in the Strabane area have been involved in a
demonisation campaign against Strabane IRSP members in particular. For
over a decade now since my release from Long Kesh after serving a
total of 18 years I have been on the receiving end of a black
propaganda campaign in order to demonise, isolate and marginalise me.
This campaign was waged by individuals connected to the Provisional
Republican Movement, some of whom I believe were also working for
agencies of the State. This began after I rejected several requests
from them to join their movement just after my release. This campaign
at times had sinister elements to it: i.e. physical attacks on other
local IRSP members which usually resulted in the assailants coming off
worse, attacks on property and conspiring to kill individual members
of the IRSP. Down throughout the years I have received several written
death threats delivered by the PSNI stating that there was going to be
"an imminent gun attack on me by PIRA for unspecified reasons" as well
as some coming from loyalist paramilitaries. Knowing the caliber of
PIRA volunteers in the Strabane area, I knew I was in the safest place
in the world from an attack, but regardless of that fact I was never
going to allow myself to be intimidated from my political position or
from my outspoken views against injustice within the community. Of
late some of these individuals have been pumping out into the
community, knowing that it will be picked up by the PSNI, rumours that
IRSP members in Strabane "own houses, pubs, taxi depots and blocks of
flats" which they claim has been funded by robberies, drug dealing,
extortion etc., etc. That is why I am not surprised at Sinn Fein's
silence as individual members belonging to them are partially culpable
for the raids. However I do acknowledge and welcome the apology
delivered to the IRSP leadership from the Provisional leadership in
relation to the latest attempts by some of these individuals to smear
and demonise the IRSP in Strabane.
I would like to put on record, a fact many readers would acknowledge,
that despite this vicious nasty and sinister campaign, I have
maintained many deep and long-lasting friendships with many IRA
ex-prisoners, both locally and nationally, to the present day. All of
whom I have a deep respect for and admiration for their own personal
struggle. It is somewhat ironic too that on the day the latest smears
were being delivered to the leadership of the IRSP I was involved in
combating a threat against Provisional Republican Movement members in
County Derry by criminal elements who believed they were untouchable
and who used a firearm in an attack on a republican missing him. It is
also ironic that despite the fact that I was deeply involved in
assisting others in bringing about an INLA ceasefire, in which I had
the honor of declaring, and of currently engaging with other anti-GFA
republicans in relation to them also calling a ceasefire that I and
other comrades are coming under attack by the pro-GFA forces
Ironically a week later after the Strabane raids SF had plenty to say
about a handful of raids in Dungannon and Killcoo in which they
rightly condemned as political policing. But when is political
policing not political policing in Sinn Fein speak...obviously when it
is directed against anti-GFA republicans.
The allegations of demonisation contained in this article is only the
tip of the iceberg and ones in which many IRSP members and other
Republicans throughout the country experienced.
TRUTH, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY
Willie Gallagher
By Ex-INLA POW Willie Gallagher
On Thursday 27th October 2005 a series of raids directed at Teach na
Failte, an ex-INLA prisoners group, began at 11.00am. A total of 40
PSNI land rovers, 25 armored PSNI cars, 8 4x4 jeeps and 12 vans were
used in the operation. A total of 23 homes, 2 business premises and
the TnF office were raided in Strabane. The TnF office in Belfast was
also raided. One third of the homes had their doors sledged in and
several houses were in effect trashed. Most of the homes but not all
belonged to members and workers from TnF, past and present. Most of
the warrants were similar in nature...money laundering, financial
documents and computer equipment. Computers and files relating to
hundreds of participants who partook in courses to enhance their
employment prospects were seized. Confidential details of
participants, which had absolutely no bearing to the stated reason on
the search warrants, were also seized. Telephones, fax machines, CVs,
certificates of achievement, job applications and funding applications
were also taken. Some of the people who haven't worked for TnF for up
to 3 years and who through the assistance of TnF gained long term
employment also had to endure the painful experience of having their
homes broken into. The PSNI stated that money and cigarettes were
seized during the raid giving the impression that these items were
taken during the house raids. None of these stated items were found in
any of the homes, offices or business premises that were searched but
were in fact seized from a person who drove his van into a cul-de-sac
where one of the raids was taking place.
My home was one of those raided by the PSNI who stated that they were
looking for evidence of money laundering, firearms, munitions and
scanners. The CID officer in charge told me that they knew they would
find nothing and apologized for the raid. Despite moving my computer
from one side of the room to the other they forgot to take it with
them. The raid had only begun when Channel 9 news phoned me asking why
I was getting raided. Twenty minutes later a press photographer was
taking photographs of my home. He quickly left the area after being
confronted about his actions. The PSNI took a credit union book, which
they seized last year after my arrest for the Ulster Bank robbery, as
well as all photographs and post cards I had from a trip to Cuba and
other documents relating to Cuba and Teach na Failte. The PSNI
personnel involved in raiding my home were unusually polite and
apologetic unlike during the vast majority of the raids elsewhere
where they were aggressive, abusive and in one case assaulted a man
knocking him to the ground from his wheelchair. They left just after
two hours from their invasion. The whole PSNI operation lasted for
just over 12 hours and was directed against TnF.
I have no doubt that this State operation was a part of a strategy
outlined last year in the Belfast Telegraph by 'security
correspondents' who stated that there was going to be "an
unprecedented attack on those believed to be involved in the Ulster
Bank robbery and this attack is going to manifest itself in various
manners". I also have no doubt that it was a propaganda exercise in
order to further demonise, isolate and marginalise anti-GFA
republicans. Six weeks before the raids TnF went through a government
audit, which, like previous audits, went to their satisfaction. If the
PSNI were really interested in TnF and its activities, it's all on
record with the NIO except for actual participants and their
confidential files which has led some to believe that the PSNI
operation was an intelligence gathering exercise though I believe it
was much more than that. I further believe that those behind this
assault on TnF are pissing in the wind and will fail in their objectives.
The PSNI and their political masters have in effect closed TnF down
with 6 full time workers and 8 part time workers will now be forced
onto the dole queue or find employment elsewhere. One would be
forgiven for thinking these job losses did not happen as elected
representatives have uttered not one word of condemnation. Had 14
workers attached to an English or American multi-national company been
made redundant in such a manner I am sure the same politicians would
have had a lot to say. Perhaps the MPs and MLAs were too busy counting
their huge expenses and salaries they receive for sitting on their fat
arses doing nothing whatsoever for the people. Maybe some of them were
too busy talking to their dogs in the street. Whatever their reasons
the message TnF has been receiving from hundred of past participants
is very clear 'Business as usual' and we just aren't going to go away
you know.
Many commentators have stated that this PSNI operation was the largest
in the history of the North West and one of the most aggressive, yet
Sinn Fein, the so-called champions of an Ireland of all equals, had
nothing to say. Personally this comes as no surprise as equality and
human rights is not on SFs agenda for anti-GFA republicans. It also
comes as no surprise due to the fact that the leadership of the
Provisional Republican Movement know that a number of individuals
connected with them in the Strabane area have been involved in a
demonisation campaign against Strabane IRSP members in particular. For
over a decade now since my release from Long Kesh after serving a
total of 18 years I have been on the receiving end of a black
propaganda campaign in order to demonise, isolate and marginalise me.
This campaign was waged by individuals connected to the Provisional
Republican Movement, some of whom I believe were also working for
agencies of the State. This began after I rejected several requests
from them to join their movement just after my release. This campaign
at times had sinister elements to it: i.e. physical attacks on other
local IRSP members which usually resulted in the assailants coming off
worse, attacks on property and conspiring to kill individual members
of the IRSP. Down throughout the years I have received several written
death threats delivered by the PSNI stating that there was going to be
"an imminent gun attack on me by PIRA for unspecified reasons" as well
as some coming from loyalist paramilitaries. Knowing the caliber of
PIRA volunteers in the Strabane area, I knew I was in the safest place
in the world from an attack, but regardless of that fact I was never
going to allow myself to be intimidated from my political position or
from my outspoken views against injustice within the community. Of
late some of these individuals have been pumping out into the
community, knowing that it will be picked up by the PSNI, rumours that
IRSP members in Strabane "own houses, pubs, taxi depots and blocks of
flats" which they claim has been funded by robberies, drug dealing,
extortion etc., etc. That is why I am not surprised at Sinn Fein's
silence as individual members belonging to them are partially culpable
for the raids. However I do acknowledge and welcome the apology
delivered to the IRSP leadership from the Provisional leadership in
relation to the latest attempts by some of these individuals to smear
and demonise the IRSP in Strabane.
I would like to put on record, a fact many readers would acknowledge,
that despite this vicious nasty and sinister campaign, I have
maintained many deep and long-lasting friendships with many IRA
ex-prisoners, both locally and nationally, to the present day. All of
whom I have a deep respect for and admiration for their own personal
struggle. It is somewhat ironic too that on the day the latest smears
were being delivered to the leadership of the IRSP I was involved in
combating a threat against Provisional Republican Movement members in
County Derry by criminal elements who believed they were untouchable
and who used a firearm in an attack on a republican missing him. It is
also ironic that despite the fact that I was deeply involved in
assisting others in bringing about an INLA ceasefire, in which I had
the honor of declaring, and of currently engaging with other anti-GFA
republicans in relation to them also calling a ceasefire that I and
other comrades are coming under attack by the pro-GFA forces
Ironically a week later after the Strabane raids SF had plenty to say
about a handful of raids in Dungannon and Killcoo in which they
rightly condemned as political policing. But when is political
policing not political policing in Sinn Fein speak...obviously when it
is directed against anti-GFA republicans.
The allegations of demonisation contained in this article is only the
tip of the iceberg and ones in which many IRSP members and other
Republicans throughout the country experienced.
TRUTH, JUSTICE AND EQUALITY
Willie Gallagher