Supt. Thompson Backs Down

When P.D. speakers arrived m Church Place, Lurgan, last Saturday to hold a meeting against mandatory six months sentences, they found that the local R.U.C. superintendent, Thompson, had succumbed to a relapse of preYoung swine fever and was warning P.D. members that they must clear off toa ''Catholic-Area" (his term) of the town. The Superintendent claimed that the centre of Lurgan was traditionally reserved for "Loyalist" meetings.

P.D. members made it clear that they would not accept his sectarian geography of the town, and that it was not supposed to be the police's job to support the Unionists! monopoly of meetings in the centre of Northern towns.

Thompson said that he had "received information" that if the meeting was held certain people would try to break it up. He was told by P.D. that his job was to see that the meeting was not interfered with; People's Democracy had no intention of attacking anyone Thompson's reply deserves to be referred to the Police Authority: P.D., he saic ''caused trouble wherever they went. If they did not come to Lurgan there would them on charges of "behaviour likely to lead to a breach of the peace”.

short discussion and decided to proceed with the meeting in themselves in the courts if necessary. Brian Tipping, Michael Farrell and John Gray spoke.

army Perhaps remembering how they unenthusiastic: their officer was seen to shrug his shoulders.

Superintendent Thompson's bluff was called. There was no disorder and no arrests.

appeared as the glorified message boy of the local right-wing > Unionists. He claimed that the be no trouble”. He then declared that, if P.D. speakers went ahead with the meeting he would arrest P.D. members present held a role.

Church Pkce; they would defend Thompson called in the Army.

had been used to start a riot in Lurgan six weeks ago (see FREE CITIZEN No. 48) the Army were At the Lurgan meeting Thompsor breach of the peace, and accordingly he was going to arrest the organisers of the meeting. What happened in Lurgan was a mere three days after Sir Arthur Young had announced his resignation.

Already the R.U.C. are trying to return to their old sectarian "A battle will have to be fought in the next few weeks to prevent the extreme Right of the Unionist Party reneging on the few reforms that have already been won. Those reforms must be safeguarded as a part of the greater struggle against exploitation in general.

The P.D. intend to continue with their protest against repressive legislation in order to warn the Unionists that there can be no going back to the days of Carson and Craigavon."

news FREE CITIZEN always welcomes news and articles. Written articles should be sent to 88 Ladybrook Park. News items may be phoned to the editor on Tuesday or Wednesday evenings between 6.00 and 7.00pm. Tel: Belfast 665644.

__ REVOLUTIONARY SOCIALIST *valapie only Witm tne special First Anniversary issue of FREE CITIZEN, w eekly newspaper of the Peoples Democracy published at 88 Lagvbrook Park Belfast, Subscription 50/- a year Sure let us free Ireland !

rent.

Let us free Ireland :

I inding capitalis fourths of the fruits of our marrow of our bones when we are young, and then throws us out in the street, like a worn out tool, when we ars grown prematurely old in his sery -é, is he not an Irishm t, and wherefore would we th im?

Be land that bred and bore us." And the landlord who €S us pay for permission to live upon it.

Vhoop up for liberty ! “Let us free Ireland," says the Patriot who won't touch Socialism.

Oh then you can go back to your slums, same as before. Whoop it up for liberty ! and wages, h Ithy homes, or lives unclouded by poverty, d wherefore should we hate him? Nay, let us not speak » Who robs us of threelabour, who sucks the very Oh then you can go scrapin or the moneylenders interest Whoop it up for libert Y.

After Ireland is free Party, under command of the sheriff green uniforms and the Harp without the Crow n, masters and destr« them from their hol power; organize to wren rom their robber c] cleanse our social life from the stain of social cannibalis from the prey of man upon his fellow man, ORGANIZE for a full, free and happy life FOR ALL OR FOR NONE!

From ''Workshop Talks"

iround for the landlords rent Ss before.

: > patriot who won't touc h li classes, and if you won't your rent you will be evicted Same as now. But the and workshops on and in whic h they enslave us: 0: ganize ‘to First published n 1909

ne nae ee a ee Oe ee nn ents: FREE CITIZEN 2nd OCTOBER 1970

----- pull-quotes -----

Never mind Such base, carnal thoughts as concern work The ra krenting*landlords: is he not also an Irishman, harshly of our brother - yea even when he raises our