Saoradh, only two weeks old, has already had to deal with much harassment from the security services in both the six county and 26 county states.
This week alone some of our members in Belfast have been stopped and harassed by the PSNI while bringing their kids to and from school and in Dublin a Saoradh meeting in a community centre was invaded by up to a dozen armed members of the Garda SDU.
Our members are used to state harassment but things have really heated up since the formation of Saoradh just two weeks ago.
Some will pass this off as "sure they are only dissidents" well that is very dangerous thinking.
Both states view anyone who challenges the system as "dissident Republicans" and the water meter protests in the 26 counties is a good example of this.
Those protesting against the privatisation of our water have been described as a "sinister fringe" , "dissident Republicans", and even compared to ISIS by a TD in Leinster House.
The demonising of the protesters led to the 26 state making dozens of arrests and the jailing of protesters which then resulted in a Garda unit being established to spy on water meter protesters.
The Gardai are now the private security firm of Irish Water as they were for Shell Oil a couple of years ago while at the same time claiming they cant tackle the rising crime rate because of a lack of resources yet can find twenty Gardai to stand around a hole in the ground.
But the worst example has to be the arrests and charges of those who protested against the visit of Joan Burton to Jobstown two years ago which has led to twenty two people including a then fifteen year old boy facing charges raging from assault to false imprisonment for blocking a car for roughly two hours.
Over 500 people attended that protest but only those who had a community, left wing or Republican leaning politics were charged.
One of our own members who is 65 years of age is facing two counts of false imprisonment and a violent disorder charge because he took part in that protest and if found guilty of false imprisonment the maximum sentence is life.
Compare the time and effort the 26 county state has put into the Jobstown protest then the bankers, corrupt politicians, and property developers who bankrupt the country.
In the six counties we have the recent protest in regards to the sectarian march being forced through the Ardoyne in North Belfast.
Look how the media and Stormont parties have vilified those who organised the protest and how a raised voice against a priest is being sickening portrayed as bad as the Loyalist Holycross protest in 2001.
Both states want an end to protests against the system at all costs.
We urge people to stand with us against state harassment as who will be next?
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me
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