Rally demands removal of spyposts
It was a bitterly cold day for a march but that didn't deter the
thousand people who turned out last Sunday to march to Cloughogue
Checkpoint outside Newry. Among them were sixty shirt-sleeved pikemen
and women from County Wexford. These hardy souls were applauded as
they lined up behind a parade of tractors and a mock lookout post at
the head of the march.
The speakers at the rally included Sinn Féin Cavan/Monaghan TD
Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin who commended the South Armagh Farmers and
Residents Committee for organising the demonstration. He described it
as ``another milestone in your long campaign for the complete
demilitarisation of this part of our country''.
He went on: ``There is justifiable anger in this community that nine
months on from the Good Friday Agreement the British government has
done nothing substantial to begin the demilitarisation of South
Armagh. Nine months on from the Agreement, four and half years on
from the first IRA cessation, it is absolutely scandalous that the
people of South Armagh still have to live under the shadow of five
British barracks and over 30 spyposts, their lives disrupted by the
relentless British military activity on land and in the air, 24 hours
a day.
``It is a damning indictment of the military mindset which still
dominates much of British policy in Ireland that this community again
has to mobilise in peaceful protest against the repressive presence
of the British Army.''
The crowd was also addressed by Kate Fearon of the Women's Coalition.
She said she was there as part of her party's number one priority, to
urge the full implementation of the Good Friday Agreement. ``The
security arrangements here are a symbol of our past,'' she said. ``This
area is not realising the fruits of the Good Friday Agreement. The
spyposts are barriers to realising the true potential of this area.''
She said the problems could only be addressed by the full
implementation of the Agreement.
Kate Fearon's contribution was warmly applauded. She has lived all
her life in the area near Cloughoghue Checkpoint but was publicly
condemned by both the UUP and the DUP for speaking at the rally.
Bernard Moffat, Secretary General of the Celtic League, pledged his
group's support to the Farmers and Residents Committee. ``We have
worked in Wales and Scotland with local groups campaigning against
airborne pollution from low-flying aircraft. There is a causal link
between health problems and the pollution from these aircraft,
including helicopters. There is also evidence of a link between
health problems and the use of electronic equipment from British
military bases. We will do all we can to help you rid this beautiful
countryside of these bloody nuisances.''
Support was also given to the campaign by Council Chairman Brendan
Curran on behalf of Newry and Mourne Council. He spoke of the support
from throughout the Council area for the removal of the spyposts. A
message of support also came from Mícheál O'Donnell, Chairman of
Louth County Council.
Declan Fearon, Chairman of the Farmers and Residents Committee,
pointed out that South Armagh was the most militarised area in
Western Europe. ``In an area of less than ten miles radius there are
thirty spyposts and five military bases. There are 3,000 troops and
RUC assigned to that area. That is one for every eight people in
South Armagh. It is time for that to change.''
Declan Fearon then brought the event to an end by introducing ``a
little piece of theatre'' and with that two tractors demolished the
mock spypost to the cheers of the crowd.
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- In a radius of less than ten miles there are ten hilltop forts with
thirty spyposts, and five British Army/RUC bases. Almost 3000 British
soldiers and RUC are assigned to South Armagh. That's one for every
eight people - men, women and children.
- Official British figures show that far from demilitarising the
British government is actually re-militarising. In the last twelve
months they have spent £21.415 million on rebuilding their bases
throughout the Six Counties. In the next twelve months they plan to
spend over twice that - £54.696 million.
- A Chinook flying for one hour costs the equivalent of a nurse's
wages for four months. For a Lynx helicopter it is just over two
hours. Official figures show that 30,000 helicopter flying hours were
recorded last year. That would pay the annual salary of approximately
six thousand nurses.
- Tens of thousands of animals have been killed in South Armagh by
low-flying helicopters over the years. In one year alone over 38,000
animals - chickens, sheep and cattle - were killed. Just 18 months
ago a farmer lost 4,900 chickens in one incident when a helicopter
hovered over his sheds.
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