Republicans ambush Minister Cowen in Derry

derry | crime and justice | news report Monday July 25, 2005 19:16 by Barry

Protestors picket city hotel in protest at "internment" and corrupt Gardai

Free State Minister Brian Cowen faced an angry reception in Derry from a crowd of around 50 supporters of republican prisoners currently being held in the high security Portlaoise jail . The protestors maintain that Cowens administration has been operating a policy of judicial internment , in many cases with the opinion of a senior garda being sufficient for anti - Stormont republicans to be jailed for up to 7 years .

Last Thursday evening members and supporters of 32csm and the Irish Republican Prisoners Welfare Association gathered in protest against the draconian policies implemented by the 26 county administration towards those republicans who continue to oppose British occupation of the north of Ireland . Numerous republicans have been jailed in Dublins Special Criminal Court often on the most spurious of charges with virtually no other evidence than the stated opinion of a senior Garda as to their membership of a "subversive" organisation . The Special Criminal Court is now basically a conveyor belt straight to maximum security Portlaoise with a virtually zero acquittal rate for anyone in possession of republican beliefs .

Around 50 protestors assembled outside the City Hotel to await the arrival of minister Brian Cowen who was attending a meeting to discuss reviving Stormont . Many carried placards accusing the Gardai of corruption and highlighting the southern administations use of virtual internment against internal political dissidents . A number of placards referred to a recent case were 4 men were jailed on a Gardas opinion basically for possession of a wreath which was laid on a republican plot in Cork . In that case a Garda (who claimed he was off duty at the time) told the SCC he just happened to be passing a flower shop when he spied a number of Cork republicans emerge in possession of a suspicious wreath of flowers . The intrepid sleuth then claimed he followed them surreptitiously to a Cork cemetery were he claimed they laid it at the republican plot , a traditional act of remembrance every Easter for republicans .

This was sufficient for a number of men to be arrested shortly afterwards and charged with membership of a subversive organisation . The Special Criminal court accepted the Gardas testimony as evidence and jailed the men . Others have been arrested and jailed for membership while openly meeting together in a public bar . Garda officers have claimed that this was for the purpose of subversive activity in their opinion and the judge accepted it as evidence also .

In the case of Dundalk republican Colm Murphy who is currently free on bail , his appeal hearing has proven that Garda officers lied , falsified evidence and committed perjury in order to secure a politically motivitated conviction against him . Despite this the policy of virtual zero acquittal for these political cases in the Special Criminal Court continues with the Gardas opinion being accepted as evidence by judges at all times .

As minister Cowen arrived at the hotel in Derry he was greeted by republican protestors who carried placards highlighting the cases referred to here and the corruption within Garda ranks . Also attending the hotel with Minister Cowen were Sinn Feins Mitchel McLoughlin and Raymond McCartney . Sad to say both Sinn Fein members pointedly ignored the dignified protest , as did the nationalist media . The next days Irish News devoted an article to the Ministers presence in the Hotel yet never mentioned the protest once despite the grave embarrassment it caused him on a friendly trip up north .

The nationalist media , just like the nationalist politicians remain determined to ensure republican dissent is silenced by both censorship and internment and that no challenge to the status quo shall be heard .