The Irish Republican Socialist Movement can state tonight that claims concocted by British Military Intelligence (MI5) which were casually released today by the PSNI to both the BBC and UTV journalists are quite simply untrue and are most likely designed to discredit the party as part of recent moves to implement fresh start aims to wipe alternative republican thinking from the political stage.
It was evident to IRSP members this morning that a large- scale media operation was underway in the Divis area as camera crews from both BBC and UTV began to assemble equipment in the streets in anticipation of something big.
We now know that these crews had earlier been briefed by PSNI assistant chief constable Stephen Martin who in turn openly admitted that he was acting under the brief of MI5 British Military Intelligence.
Shortly afterwards dozens of PSNI land rovers rolled into the streets of West Belfast and began ransacking homes in front of journalists, the Headquarters of the IRSP was also raided in an over the top military exercise in which one voluntary worker was arrested. An influx of journalists and camera crews and journalists had made their way to west Belfast for the duration of these arrests.
By mid afternoon it had become clear that a full-scale attempt to criminalise and demonise the Irish Republican Socialist Movement was under way.
Many republicans were understandably aghast when the PSNI made a clearly deliberate insinuation that a member of the Republican Socialist Movement had been arrested for being involved in ‘Human Trafficking and the Control of Prostitution’, no doubt confident that a compliant media and a gullible public would allow them to carry this lie across the line of public confidence.
By 6.30 this evening however, vigilant journalism from Vincent Kearny of the BBC, made the public aware that the individual concerned was in fact a Romanian national and not (as had been suggested by the PSNI) a member of either the IRSP nor indeed the INLA.
The Irish Republican Socialist Movement is happy to confirm that they know nothing of this individual, nor is the movement involved in any way shape or form, with Prostitution, Human Trafficking or extortion.
Tonight, the IRSP headquarters remains occupied by hostile British troops under the guise of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, our members have been unlawfully prevented from observing the search take place and our solicitors have written to the office of the Chief Constable demanding an explanation for this unlawful action. Other members of the IRSP are in Police custody and we expect more raids to follow.
The Republican Socialist Movement are confident of the reasons for today’s psychological attacks.
The stated aim of the Fresh Start Agreement was to wipe from the stage of Irish politics all traces of alternative republican thinking. MI5 know that the IRSP has re-organised into a vibrant and confident party in recent years and are determined to smash that momentum.
The IRSP state clearly that in this aim, MI5 and their stooges in the PSNI will fail.
Tonight the attacks on our party are ongoing. We will release a full statement in due course.
