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The
attempted murder of Derry man Danny McBrearty underlines
the need for people to stand up and be counted against
the thugs who attacked him. It is vital that people
support Mr McBrearty, and that they also express their
solidarity for Bridie McCloskey and her family. Years
ago people resisted state brutality, and the key to
that resistance was solidarity. We need that solidarity
now more than ever before.
When
I marched for civil rights I never imagined that we
would have ended up with the kind of political gangsterism
that threatens us today. Along with many others, I
marched for freedom from thuggery.
When
we stood up for our rights, my neighbour, Samuel Devenney,
was attacked in his home by the R.U.C., and later
died from his injuries. But it is clear that today
Derry is being occupied by another gang of self-imposed
policemen who enjoy attacking anyone who dares stand
up to them.
I
lived a few doors away from Samuel Devenney, and the
morning after his home was attacked I saw what the
R.U.C.had done. It is time for the people of Derry
to ask one another: "What is the difference between
today's masked police and the ones who murdered Samuel
Devenney?" As I have stated, I saw what they
did to my neighbour in 1970, and today I can see no
difference at all.
It
is time for people to oppose the organisation that
shot Danny McBrearty. Years ago a generation marched
for civil rights but today we have none because this
gang can do what it likes without opposition. Anyone
who ever marched for civil rights should now condemn
what was done to this man, and they should rally to
his family. Any politician who truly believes in democracy
and opposes gang rule must condemn this atrocity and
publicly offer their support to Danny McBrearty. The
clergy must challenge this oppressive situation and
condemn it as
immoral.
Samuel
Devenney was murdered because in 1970 Catholics were
fair game for the state. We are supposed to have a
peace process now, but Catholics still remain easy
targets. What has changed is that another political
elite is attempting through threats, gangsterism and
downright thuggery, to impose its will over the rest
of us. I describe them as gangsters because that is
what they are. In order to attack a man while at his
work, they took time out from their own daily routine
of collecting protection racket money and selling
illegal cigarettes.
In
fact, things have gotten worse since 1970, because
Samuel Devenney's relatives at least had a pretence
at an inquiry. Danny McBrearty deserves justice, and
people should support him by demanding the truth.
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