RNU REJECTS DISHONEST CLAIMS BY GERRY KELLY
Speaking in relation to the incursion into and the laying siege of the Greater Ardoyne area by the RUC/PSNI, and to the community’s response to both of the unwanted and unnecessary sectarian parades forced through the same area on July 12.
REPUBLICAN NETWORK FOR UNITY (RNU) Spokesperson MARTIN OG MEEHAN said; ‘Once again Greater Ardoyne was forced to endure the spectacle of two triumphalist marches through their community. The reason these unwelcome parades where permitted was to discredit and disregard the rights of Nationalist and Republican communities who have been and continue to be treated like second-class citizens in the “Orange State”.
Not only had residents to witness the sectarian coat-trailing marches, but also the entire area was also laid siege by the full might of the RUC/PSNI militia, who by then had provoked the young people in Estorial Park into violent behaviour by using police brutality.
The Republican Network for Unity was invited to Ardoyne along with a number of other Republican political parties and groups to monitor the situation and demonstrate our solidarity with the local residents. We participated in the morning protest and evening march and the RNU activists remained on the ground for much of night to dissuade discontented youths from being provoked into rioting.
The Republican Network for Unity rejects the claims by “MLA Gerry Kelly” that our Network was soley in Ardoyne because we are ‘anti-Sinn Fein.’ The RNU is already on record stating that our role is to expose British imperialism and its negative effects in Ireland. However, we ask the Sinn Fein politician, Is it not the right of our political pressure group to agree or disagree with Sinn Fein’s policies? Instead of engaging in demonising RNU, we urge Mr Kelly to focus his energy on cutting the ties with Britain and achieving the restoration of our national sovereignty.’
