Aftermath of the Harrods bomb attack. Inset, Birmingham Troops Out supporters, including members of Birmingham Trades Council, march in Belfast last year. DURING Christmas, British press was full of the horrors of the bombing. Immediately, there were reassuring police reports that a suspect had been apprehended. 'suspect', ALAN O'DWYER was arrested on Wednesday December 21, when the Birmingham house he was staying at was raided. CHRIS PALMER RICHARDS spoke to Alan, and the two other residents, MARY PEARSON three are active on the Irish question. Alan is a former member of Sinn Fein. They told Socialist Action their impressions of the real purpose of the police raid.
Can you explain what happened when your house was raided?
Mary: The police rang the door_bell at about 6.45 in the morning. Hight came in. They said they had a warrant the Criminal Damage Aci search for explosive substances, they didn't look in the right places for explosives or even in all the rooms. They even let Cath go to the tollet.
allowed out of the l'd like to know what evidence thev used to get the warrant. because they were operating as if under the Prevention of Terrorism Act explosives statistics kept by the National Council TOVETLES - mavbe this is a way police are using to get round it Most of the time they spent looking through papers and books we've collected prisoners. Maybe they wanted to send them Christmas cards!
Then Cath told me that Alan had been arrested. I dived across the bonnet of their car in my night clothes untị they told me where they were taking him. Our first priority then was to make sure Alan support, make sure the police knew he had supRoy Hatter sley our MP, and Claire 1 got a soneror Short MP.
What was happening to you meanwhile, Alan?
Alan: My flat in London was raided at 5.30 on the Wednesday when. armed police kicked in the door.
But had already left for When thev arrested Birmingham I was taken to Coalfields Police Station. me I was arrested under Section 10 of the PTA - • regarding involvement in the preparation, instigation and commission of •acts of although they couldn't tell me what this part of the Act said I was questioned about Sinn Fein about the Troops Birmingham, Out Ninety-nine per cent of the questions were purely political, like asking what I thought of certain people. I didn't answer quoted aboul giving everyone lame car bul few thy voice.
We went over this for hours. the afternoon two detectives refused to give their names, from London. We went over the same ground with me declining to answer. I movements on the the Harrod's That ANITA All but house but with boxes of Irish and contacted ing about Harrods about it! was morning British Birmthev asked others they me in purely political as well.
Sutton They told Led at?
terrorism occuranon.
movement. misleads Shakespeare, that.
In who arrived days in question, which as far as I can gather they haven't bothered to check. Questionwas rullilllla. just did I do it, or did I know anything Just an informationgathering exercise aimed at the Irish community in general, and particularly organisations involved in working for a progressive political solution to NCCI From what I can gather, the questions arrested were What do you think the raids were aimAlan: They were aimed on the one hand at intimindating people, to stop them voicing their opinions on British other hand they arrested 'suspects'. Subsequent media the public into thinking the authorities are in control of the situation. But their record over the last six or seven years regarding IRA activity in Britain gives a lie to The IRA have been able to do what they want. Few people arrested are ever aharged with anything. police Mary: They are aimed at silencing for example worries about their families. The police know we are two single parents with four children. They disrupted us at 7am a few days before Christmas - inal s not just chance.
What did you do after the raid?
Mary: We contacted progressive MPs and councillors, Labour Party officials, people on the West Midlands County Police Committee, and the Alan: I'm making statements to these people. I'd advise anybody under the PTA to do this, and take it up in their trade union or any useful organisation. Don't just let the thing slide. We can show at the end oi the day how their actions aren't aimed political discussion.
Cath: Contact any MP, even Tories because one of them has just spoken out against the PTA when one of his constituents was arrested.
Mary: On the Friday after the arrests, council support to protest against the also complaint which will think you should through all the channels available to you under law. For example I'm taking civil action for theit against police officer who stole a petition during the raid.
But don't just wait until someone is arrested get progressive unions and other organisations now, so that support is there in a crisis. I'n doing that now, for example, through Labour Partv women's sections.
Were these protests effective?
Alan:I was held for 29 hours. They told me some of the people who had phoned them up. them think twice, and think the whole thing would rebound on them because ounel so many people were getting involved MEPs, people from Coventry, not just local people.
Mary: What the press said about arresting suspect bombing 1s was a political arrest to update files.
Alan: A point I'd like to make is that my name was released to the media by the Irish Freedom Movement without my knowledge. authorised it because it doesn't do any take the beginning People have been misled so much by the media that they believe there is no smoke without fire. It cheap publicity stunt on the part of A «passeu Loc and a car It definitely made London and in 40.
for the Harrods lust a smoke-screen but the wouldn't have was just a lies the Irish Freedom Movement which whole media thing has been an exer : in disinformation, going along with the police line.
What are your feelings about the Harrods bombing?
Alan: They had 40 minutes warning number and location, but collet t no une car intimen Either they are incompetant or somebody in autority let their rank and file wall into it in order to create a situation the media could respond to. Chev're sur posed to react to nuclear war in four minutes but they couldn't react to this Mary: What happened was horrible while there's a war going on Ireland lnese tnings will nappen. In Irish people will take action against their oppressors to affect the govern ment of the country that's occupying This sort of thing will continue to happen until there's a politicla solution in Ireland. And the onlv solution Nothing toe Will work. total British withdrawal. Alan: The ultimate responsibility for every single death, every single injury with successive British govern
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