As has happened in recent years, Britain’s hated colonial police force in Occupied Ireland advertised in this year’s All Ireland Final match programme. The advertisment shamefully included a tokenistic co-opting of our national language, An Ghaeilge, which stated “Déan gairm beatha de” which means make a career out of it. What exactly are they referring to when they call for those across the 32 counties to “make a career out of it”.
Are they referring to harassing their fellow Irishmen in the 6 counties night and day? Are they referring to kicking in doors in the dead of night, splitting up families and terrorizing children? Or perhaps colluding with fascist deathsquads who want to burn ordinary Nationalists out of their homes. All of this and more awaits you in a career in the RUC.
Despite it’s so called rebranding all of the old structures of the RUC remain with the PSNI today. The very legislation which founded the PSNI in 2000 states that ‘The body of constables known as the Royal Ulster Constabulary shall continue in being. It states further that ‘The body of constables…shall be styled for operational purposes the “Police Service of Northern Ireland’. I.E the RUC was given a new name and shiny uniforms but allowed to carry on as before.
The same structures which colluded with MI5 continues to do so. The same structures which passed information on to loyalist fascists continues to do so. If one is in any doubt as to where the allegiance of this force lies they can glance at the news from the past 2 weeks.
At the funeral of John Steele, a loyalist who died building a bonfire on the annual hatefest, otherwise known as the 11th night, two members of the PSNI stood to attention and saluted the cortege as it passed.
The PSNI is not a normal police force despite millions of pounds in rebranding and PR campaigns. The fact remains that people from Nationalist areas are more likely to be subjected to stop and searches, surveillance, and harassment.
Despite an aim of trying to target recruits from a Catholic background 75% of officers are from a Protestant background. The PSNI remain the frontline shock troops of Britain’s occupation in Ireland. The name and uniforms may have changed but the aim remains the same.
Republicans and the wider nationalist community should oppose the disgusting co-opting of our national language by a force which is in bed with loyalism and enforces occupation.
Further the fact that a recruitment advertisement was included in the match programme on All Ireland Final Day in Croke Park the scene of the killings of 14 people on Bloody Sunday 1920 is an insult to the dead. These shameless advertisements, done with the backing of the GAA are now annual.
Republicans should seek to take direct action against this farce. The PSNI may claim to have been rebranded or reformed, the fact remains that they’ll always be the RUC to Irish people in Occupied Ireland and they are not welcome in our communities.
Ná déan slí beatha de, atógáil an Phoblacht