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POLICE IN NORTHERN Ireland have warned that an attack by dissident republicans to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising is “highly possible”.
Assistant Chief Constable Stephen Martin told a press conference the PSNI is “deeply concerned” as the threat level remains “severe”.
He was speaking after a prison officer was injured when a car bomb exploded in east Belfast this morning. The 52-year-old man is in a stable condition in hospital.
Martin told BBC News: “We are deeply concerned by the current threat picture. In recent weeks we have been increasing patrols across Northern Ireland and we intend to do that in the coming weeks – up to and through Easter.”
He noted that this year Easter has “much greater and increased significance” due to the 1916 centenary.
That’s a very important date, particularly for people from the nationalist and republican community.
“There are dozens and dozens of events being organised across Northern Ireland. We are working with the event organisers to ensure that they pass off peacefully.
“We will be culturally sensitive in our policing of the Easter ’16 events.
However, there are people within dissident republican groupings who want to mark the Easter 2016 100th anniversary in an entirely more sinister way. Who want to kill police officers, prison officers or soldiers.
Martin called for support from the community, saying: “It is not inevitable that anyone needs to lose their life.”
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Tools, tools, tools.
Always was amazed at the lack of science that goes into PSNI “threat levels”.
(I do believe they said the same thing when “The Wind That Shakes The Barley” was released.)
Basically on the basis of one unionist and never regarding the more numerical loyalist terrorists who have not been on ceasefire for years. Or who swell in support during marching season or poppy week.
Anywho, will Fine Gael now blame Sinn Fein for the dissidents?
Despite SF being Provos?
Will Edna now stop his grand marshalling of the 1916 parade to appease to billies up North, like he expects nationalists to? Of course not …… doesn’t suit his agenda right now.
Not in my name, The war is over, And It was a draw.
@Dotcom . A draw i dont think so . The IRA lost and gave up .
Robert,
The Provos walked into Britain, bombed cities, shot soldiers and went for the actual Conservative party at Brighton.
Thatcher cracked, Britain threw in the towel and you and the whole world knows it.
Dream on . And by the way it was Major who started talks off with IRA and then Blair nothing to do with Thatcher . Remember Mo Molam . I know my Irish history and dont look at it with rose tinted sinn fein glasses .
Don’t try and Stigmatise 1916 by trying to link it with dissident Republicans. Numerous attacks are carried out each year. Coincidence rather than intent I think………..
What constitutes a dissident i wonder? Is it a group that splits from the main organisation and forms a breakaway and decides not to go down a peaceful route?
We’ve had lots of ‘dissidents’ on this island. It’s a stickie situation.
Can anyone remind me why the IRA resurrected itself in the six counties in the 1960s? Weren’t the Unionist being denied equal access to voting rights, housing, work and education or have I got it completely wrong?!? *irony*
Sorry Robert, you need to read on, the official British line on the “Troubles” is a bit too convenient for me.
I know my history better.
Maggie said she’d never do a deal. ……… And she did.
Britain, after literally centuries, were on the back foot in the North.
It’s regrettable that the UK had to be terrorised into reason, but it was them who terrorised the Nordies.
Provos put manners on them.
An inconvenient truth.
Historians actually know this by the way.
@george hogan
Well you should ask the Irish Labour Party, because they were involved with the Official IRA.
But, nationalists were being denied those rights BY unionists.
And when nationalists were murdered in pograms in the late 60s, IRA were resurrected so to speak to protect nationalist areas from the British army and NI police.
I find Blanketmen a fascinating insight in to the republican movement, it changed my views of certain ‘leaders’ & it changed my views on the struggle & the mentality of those that orchestrated it.
Talking through your ar$e as usual Robert?
@fergal mc donut What would an ignorant shinners like you know about anything . Put forward your argument and dont behave like a foul mouthed brat
Robert, Stop it will ya, you’ll tell me next the Falkland islands are part of the UK.
Look it up on goggle maps its a long walk.. Then again you may just be an Irish antagonist.
@dotcom . Dont change the subject Look i lived close to the border in the 70s and 80s and not many people supported the IRA . IRA lost get over it and move along . Just because you were a supporter of the IRAd oes not mean decent irish people did . The six counties are still part of the uk and the IRA gave up . Their ultimate goal was re unifacation of ireland which never did happen and alot of the boys were in jail . As much as i disliked the IRA i feel Adams sold out in the end although peace has return to the north .
So if you supported the IRA back then , according to you , you weren’t a decent Irish person ?
“So if you supported the IRA back then” The very same people that commited the omagh bombing (one of many ) that killed 31 and injured 220 people then you decide what sort of person you are i will leave it up to you . If you think its ok to kill innocent civilian people to further your goal then you have a problem .
Omagh Bombing
The car bomb detonated at about 15:10 BST in the crowded shopping area,[31] killing outright 21 people who had been in the vicinity of the vehicle. Eight more people would die on the way to or in hospital. The deceased victims included a pregnant woman, six children, and six teenagers, most of whom had died on the spot.[12] Those who were killed were James Barker (12), Seán McLaughlin (12) and Oran Doherty (8), from County Donegal, Fernando Blasco Baselga (12) and Rocío Abad Ramos (23) from Spain, Geraldine Breslin (43), Gareth Conway (18), Breda Devine (1), Adrian Gallagher (21), Mary Grimes (65), Brenda Logue (17), Brian McCrory (54), Seán McGrath (61), Jolene Marlow (17), Avril Monaghan (30; pregnant with twins), Maura Monaghan (1), Elizabeth Rush (57), Philomena Skelton (39), all Catholics; Deborah-Anne Cartwright (20), Esther Gibson (36), Olive Hawkes (60), Julia Hughes (21), Ann McCombe (48), Samantha McFarland (17), Alan Radford (16), Veda Short (56), Fred White (60), Bryan White (26), and Lorraine Wilson (15), all Protestants, were killed. (Seán McGrath died from his injuries on 5 September 1998.) [12][34]
I think your mixed up there Robert, Your love of the crown is apparent you must be very proud and looking forward to the 12th of July.
Me an orangeman Get real . But i am certainly no shinner .
Robert, Omagh wasn’t the 60s, 70s or 80s – I think that was the period being discussed – that you refere to yourself. Truth is many people supported the struggle against the British establishment early on…but when they started purposely killing civilians they lost that support. Though there certainly were some who supported even that. I wouldn’t like to EVER see us go back that way again – the tide has turned and if there’s ever going to be a united Ireland it should happen by peaceful means only.
Jesus h Robert – you’ve got some serious problems!
T beckett you sound very proud of the terrorists
“Provos put manners on them.”
Yeah, I’m sure Jonathan Ball (age 3) and Tim Parry (age 12) were in dire need of having ‘manners’ put on them when the Provos bombed Warrington. Maccy D’s, Boots and Argos stores are of course very easy to confuse with British Army bases. Particularly in civilian shopping districts.
@EmNi Mhurchu Yes you are correct i don like to see innocent people getting blown apart .Apparently your ok with that . Cowards who plant bombs and kill women and children .How can you justify them as legitamite targets . Explain that ?
Well said bingo
The tools, the tools, the tools. They have left us our dissident dead.
The aims of the IRAs never change. Neanderthal nutcases. They have never shown any respect for the will of the people.Giving retrospective approval to armed insurrection is at the heart of this problem. Modern day armed insurrectionists are no different to their historical counterparts.
Do people like you purposely conflate different organisations for the sake of reactions or is it purely to do with a lack of education? Genuine question.
I’ll bring an extra tricolour just for you Leo at the parade.
But you should be there, marking the end of your empire and all……..
Leo can’t see clearly because his Lambeg drum blocks the view of a better world ahead of him.
Fred.. Yes, yes they do. What’s worse is they actually think others are as dumb as themselves and will buy into it.
Tell me Al how did your lot manage to kill more Nationalists / Catholics than the British Army , UDR and all the various Unionist gangs combined , just asking ?
Mike, please clarify, with source, I lived through the whole thing and, that’s really not what happened.
Silly boy…not my lot.
Is nobody allowed to point out the obvious, that blaming the wrong group does the victims no justice and serves to undo what progress has been made with other groups.
FG have used every means available to advance their election progress at any cost…including damaging the peace process.
As for Leo/Diarmuid, he is an Orange man who loves to ferment trouble and would love to see NI descend back into chaos.
Good man Al you sound just like Gerry but then all the Shinners have their script learned of by heart
Ok Joey tell us what did happen
Ah Leo,
Arlene Foster of the DUP certainly didn’t think so. She was down here in her capital commemorating it.
Seriously, I’m no shinner…but that’s how you FG boys paint any opposition….fear is your only weapon as you have nothing else to offer the citizens of our country.
Leo, there was no retrospective approval for what went on during the Tan War. Did evidence? Ask the hundreds of families who gave shelter to the IRA. Even the media are begining to note the professional historians point that support for a fight against the British was NOT universally disapproved .Not everyone who went out to watch the surrendering Irish Volunteers and ICA booed and jeered
Are you naturally that misinformed or do you practice?
Mike is peddling an untruth frequently uttered by people grossly misinformed on the northern conflict or mischievously trying to close down debate because they can’t win the argument. Any check of the facts will reveal Mike’s assertion to be absolutely false. Loyalist paramilitaries killed more people from the nationalist community than the total number of civilians killed by the IRA.In fact about 60% of the civilian casualties of the conflict were Catholics and the vast majority were killed by Loyalist paramilitaries that received significant assistance from the security forces by way of collusion.
It’s also possible fuk all will happen
You mean aside from today’s bomb?
Bullshit
How do you know? Do tell.
How do the PSNI know? Scaremongering it sounds like.
Why so you think this threat is bs? The police obviously have intelligence. The ira has no place in modern society.
So you’ll be happy to know cholly, that MI5 believe the IRA is no threat….oh sorry!…you’re mixing them up with the dissidents who have sworn to kill republican signatories to the GFA.
How can you say it’s BS? A prison officer was injured in a car bomb today so I’d say there’s every chance that dickhe@ds from either side could you Easter rising commemorations as a perfect time to attack.
Sorry not the ira then. Only “good republicans” are a threat
It is bullshit. These bombs are planted at the same time every year Christmas so we can blame republicans for causing traffic. Coming into summer time to justify the increase in the police spending over the 12th so the other side doesn’t look so bad when it costs so much for bonfires and the clean up and the madness after the parade. Living here and reading the same news every year and it’s always the same gist. Pesky republicans want to kill us. Just so happens that st Patrick’s day and the anniversary is coming up so of course we are going to see an increase in this so everyone is moaning about the ra. I’m not saying they are good people, I’m saying this place is so backwards that it makes perfect sense these bombs are planted for another motive.
Not exactly wrong, he called it
Havn’t all the Dissies a funeral to attend on Tuesday? ……. a chance to round up a few of the beret bros and shade sistas perhaps?
I don’t think the police are making this up, the threat-level has been at “severe” for some time now. As recently as November there was an attempted murder of two officers as they sat in their car in west Belfast, where up to eight shots were fired at them. These people remain determined to kill. I believe their actions are highly embarrassing for the SF leadership, who want to bring the movement along the political route, away from violence. Trying to link SF to the actions of the Dissies is at best misguided, and at worst, malicious.
My thought is, that these criminals have no self awareness of what they do. If they start interrupting the 1916 commemorations by aiming terror at members of the police and prison service, innocent civilians both Protestant and Catholics as well as tourists will be caught up in this terrible act by cowards.
Unionists and FGers have a similiar look about them I think
I thought internet access in psychiatric units were supervised magoo, you’re a slippery devil.
Sinn Fein, IRA press office.
Hate everything to do with the unlawful occupation of the 6 counties of Ireland and the human rights abuses towards Irish people of its past but a good friday agreement is in place and it should be honoured.
bollix
What a shower of Bankers.How will this help the cause of Nationalists and Republicans. ? Not in our name. These nutters should be shunned from the Republican community if they have not already
Who and why are people referring to (Provisional) Sinn Fein? They have NOTHING to do with these post 1998 splinter groups.Even DUP know that. History lessons seem to be required , people must have been way to interested in Big Brother (Channel 4 show) than looking at what went on up there
The comments from Shinner types illustrate what sort of a sick gang of ignorant buffoons they really are.
The shinner type apart from some posters on here are generally ignorant buffoons. I agree re: the difference between dissident and provisional however and this is the work of dissidents.
Says the man with Michael Collins as his profile.
But then again Leo does have our national symbol as his.
What are you rabbiting on about Beckett, remember Ml. Collins was the chief of staff of the Irish army of a sovereign Irish state, the opposite to the dissidents of the state, so what’s your point you ignorant buffoon.
Leo. The drivel that you spew is nauseating nonsense. You obviously know sweet FA about the insurrection a century ago, and bugger all about very little else for that matter.
@Fergalmcdonut . Coming from someone who knows nothing about nothing . Now who talking out their arse fergirl ?
British Army to execute republicans at the GPO on the same day.
Thats just crazy,
What a bunch of bankers.Surely even those Families that are part of the Republican Community in Northern Ireland could not approve of this lunatic behaviour??? Why is (Provisional) Sinn Fein getting mentioned here? NOTHING to do with them.Even DUP know that
It is not like one has to request for a history lesson to go back as far as 1969. 1998 should suffice .
More bollocks!
Looks like the dissidents and the Orangemen have infiltrated the Luas Drivers! They have a plan to sabotage not only our national holiday but Easter Sunday and Monday too!
MI5 threat level was “severe” for NI for ages. I just checked it https://www.mi5.gov.uk/home/the-threats/terrorism/threat-levels.html and got this messge….
“404 Page not found…..Sorry, this page does not exist”
It begs the question, if MI5 don’t know what’s going on then where are the PSNI getting their information from on threat levels?
Ask mcguinness, isn’t he involved with MI5
“The threat to the lives of police officers from dissident republicans in the north west of Northern Ireland remains severe, a senior officer says on 6 October (2015).
Supt Mark McEwan said that from September 2014 there had been 15 bomb incidents in the Derry City and Strabane District council area.
They included seven attacks on the police.”
From the BBC website.
It should be MI6 pr@cks in reality because they are in somebody elses country.
One word reveals all they know, or want to know, ‘Overtime’¬
25k a day to police the illegal loyalist protest camp and illegal loyalist paramillitary parades in Twadell Ave coming on the back of a 13 million cut to police funding.No wonder the PSni is a complete demoralised shambles,completely ignored by unelected absentee politicians like Thersea Villiers.
Don’t forget the attempted murder of the psni officer as she sat in her car outside Naomi Long’s office in east Belfast, when loyalists threw a petrol bomb into the car. This after the DUP had distributed leaflets throughout the area brandishing the Alliance as traitors to the union. Robinson wasn’t taken to task. Unionists never are.
1916 get over it we Irish don’t even run our own country anymore were ruled by Brussels we have no sovereignty anymore their fight was in vain as long as I have a few bob and a roof over my head I don’t really care who rules us and the way its going in this country it wont be long before were run by foreigners within
Perfectly put, joey!
Idiots!
IRA don’t represent ppl of Ireland , they are cowardly thugs
Lies
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