British Army Wreath Laid In Divis
In the early hours of Sunday Morning, under the cover of darkness as residents slept in their beds and under the watchful eye of a PSNI patrol, a commemorative wreath was laid on Cullingtree Road, near the location of the death of a serving British Soldier in 1987.
The Irish Republican Socialist Party were contacted on Sunday morning and made aware of the existence of the wreath, placed in an area that has suffered greatly at the hands of the British Military.
At this point, Republican Socialist activists attended the scene of the wreath laying and took the wreath into our possession due to the belief that the wreath would have been inevitably vandalised or destroyed. This action was also carried out at the request of concerned and angry residents who were upset at the sight of this wreath due to Crown Force brutality inflicted on the local community over the decades.
The Irish Republican Socialist Movement has suffered losses of our own. We understand the pain inflicted on families, friends and comrades. We believe that they have the right to remember their dead in a dignified and respectful manner. But putting this wreath in an area where it is not wanted will not pay testimony to that.
On Sunday afternoon Lower Falls IRSP spokesperson Michael Kelly handed the wreath to the Shankill Road Branch of Unite the Union with the intention of it being relaid by this soldiers family & friends in a location that will be suitable and respectful.
Questions must now be raised as to why the PSNI facilitated this wreath laying knowing the anger and sadness it would have caused to both the local community and to the family and friends of this soldier.
We will ensure that this narrow minded sectarian political agenda that they attempted to inflict today will be opposed by the Irish Republican Socialist Movement and the Working Class communities that we work on behalf of.
We are confident that our action today was taken in the best interests of the local community, while also understanding the need to respect each others dead going forward.
