RIC/RUC/PSNI

The Sleeping Giant Has Awoken

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Japan attacked the US naval base at Pearl Harbor (near Honolulu, Hawaii) on December 7th, 1941. Even before the USA announced its consequent entry into WWII, Admiral Isoruku Yamamoto wondered if the effect of the attack would be “to awaken the sleeping giant and to fill him with terrible resolve”. In the case of today’s images, the sleeping giant is a lion, and the lion is the UVF 1st East Antrim, with units not just in Larne, Ballyduff, Ballyclare, Greenisland, Glengormley, Monkstown, Rathcoole, Carrickfergus, and Whitehead, but in Drumchapel (Glasgow, Scotland), Springburn (Glasgow, Scotland), Possilpark (Glasgow, Scotland), Paisley (Scotland), Falkirk (Scotland), Liverpool (England), Blackpool (England), Corby (England), and Blairgowrie (Scotland). Balaclava’d men with ArmaLites stand ready: “Our forefathers fought for our freedom & rights/No border in the sea or we continue the fight.”

The combination of a free-floating Northern Ireland with Britain (in the first image, above) is rare in muraling, but necessitated by Brexit and the Protocol.

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X09303 X09304 X09305 X09306 X09308 X09302 X09307 stop PSNI harassment of the loyalist community no surrender YCV D Coy for god and ulster Drumahoe Gdns Millbrook

Justice For Eddie Meenan

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The trial has begun, before Londonderry Crown Court, of three men accused of the murder of Eddie Lynch, who was stabbed 40-50 times in November, 2018 (Derry Journal | BBC). The graffiti above is on the electrical box at the bottom of Fahan Street, next to a Lasair Dhearg (web) ‘Don’t join the PSNI’ poster (shown below), with the Che Guevara Lynch mural visible on the left.

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Copyright © 2021 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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Copyright © 2021 Andy McDonagh/Eclipso Pictures (ig | Fb)
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X09009 [X09008] X09010

Bullets Travel Also Through Time

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“South Belfast – time for truth – exposing collusion – Ormeau Road – ‘Bullets do not only travel distance but also through time'” [Based on a quote by James Kennedy’s father: “The bullets that killed James didn’t just travel in distance, they travelled in time. Some of those bullets never stop travelling.” (Irish Times)]

Police Ombudsman Marie Andersons’s report into various murders and attempted murders in south Belfast was released yesterday (February 7th, 2022) and presented a list of “collusive behaviours” between the RUC and loyalist paramilitaries. Among the incidents investigated was the killing of five people “murdered for their faith” at the Sean Graham bookies’ office on the Ormeau Road in February 5th, 1992; the report found that one of the two UDA gunmen was a Special Branch informant and that a Browning pistol used in the attack had been supplied by the RUC (as had previously been revealed in the 2010 HET Inquiry report) and that records relating to the weapon had been withheld from investigators (Irish Times | Belfast Live). For the 30th anniversary, relatives of the five men killed and of five more who were injured displayed their portraits next to the small memorial garden, which itself was updated to mark the third decade since their deaths: “1992-2022” (Belfast Live).

The plaque on the far left is to Charles Jospeh McGrillen, shot by the UDA/UFF in 1988 at his work in Dunne’s on the Annadale embankment (Sutton). Next to the bookies’ parlour is a plaque to Fian Jim Templeton.

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X09015 X09014 X09013 X09012 hatfield st go ndéana Dia trócaire ar a n-anamacha

Stop PSNI Harassment

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“Stop PSNI harassment of the loyalist community” The PSNI were attacked on Wednesday by youths who blocked Lanark Way (site of this sticker), following a small protest against the NI Protocol. Belfast Live ran a live-blog of the events. Police later suggested that the young people were organised by older people in the community in an attempt to increase tension over the Protocol (Belfast Live) and the threatened collapsing of Stormont by the DUP (BelTel). They were also attacked from the Springfield Road side (BelTel).

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X08626

Alter Ego

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“PSNI Out” is the latest message on Sliabh Dubh from Gael Force Art, mounted in response to what it sees as disparate treatment of nationalists – intruding, ostensibly on Covid-related grounds, upon a flower-laying ceremony in commemoration of the attack on the Sean Graham bookies shop on the Ormeau Road (Feb 5th, 1992) and arresting one of the victims, Mark Sykes (RTÉ) – and unionists – PSNI monitoring but not confronting a UVF show of strength in Pitt Park (iTV). Michelle O’Neill called the Ormeau incident “a watershed moment for public confidence in policing” (Irish News); one officer has been suspended. The writing on the mountain is seen here over the Captain America panel of the wall of superheroes, enhanced versions of their human alter egos: Steve Rogers, Bruce Banner, Clark Kent, etc.

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X07949 [X07950] [X07951]

The New Normal

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“Community warning. This area is being monitored for antisocial behaviour. Your behaviour has consquences. Think of your community. Don’t do anything you might later regret. This sign was amended by Lasair Dhearg [web | tw] as part of our campaign against imperialism and PSNI normalisation.” The substitute version is from the Fall Road, the original (below) is from Ballysillan Road.

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X07289 X07290

In The Pocket Of Sinn Féin

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The Sinn Féin logo takes the place of the service’s emblem (which already contains a harp and a shamrock) on the cap of a PSNI officer. “Police Service Of Northern Ireland – destroying the loyalist community since 4th nov. 2001. In the pocket of Sinn Fein [sic]”. 

For the board below, see Graduated Response; for the hooded UVF gunman, see Progression Requires Inclusion.

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Copyright © 2020 Sabine Troendle (web | Fb)
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X07116 X07117 Davys St, Carrickfergus

Community Policing

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“The face of community policing?? Not in our name. Reject all forms of British political policing in Ireland.” The 32 County Sovereignty Movement lost its Facebook page this month, but its poster campaign against harassment and imprisonment of members continues.

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X06987

Same Aim

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Lasair Dhearg (Fb | tw | web) next week (Thursday 30th) will have three speakers on the theme of Political Policing & Oppressive Legislation, starting at 7 in Conway Mill. The sticker above (with Red Section) is on Divis Street, west Belfast. “RUC – PSNI: Different name, same aim”.

Below are two more stickers, the first quoting Patrick Pearse: “Tír gan teanga, tír gan anam”, the second with a call to “End imperialism in Ireland”. The final sticker is from Lasair Dhearg only (not Red Section): Britain Out Of Ireland with Prince Charles in his paratrooper beret.

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X06975 2020-01-31 Gan Teanga sticker+
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X07076 2020-04-26 ST Red Section sticker+
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X07752 2020-11-14 REMS+
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X06972 X06975 X07076 X07752

The Pogrom Of August 1969

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This August marks the 50th anniversary of what are euphemistically called “The Troubles”. The Battle Of The Bogside (Derry) began on August 12th; in Belfast, fighting began on the night of August 14th and before dawn three people in the Divis Street area were dead: Protestant Herbert Roy and Catholics Patrick Rooney and Hugh McCabe, both shot in the Divis flats complex by the RUC’s Shorland armoured cars. (Two other Catholics were killed in rioting in Ardoyne.) This new board is on Divis tower, next to the plaque commemorating Rooney and McCabe.

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X05989 X05990 “Ar eagla go ndéanfadh muid dearmad” [for fear we would forget/lest we forget] “erected by the falls commemoration committee” ‘time for truth” “malone road fiddles”  “barricades stay until demands are met”