Sinn Féin's galling hypocrisy in condemning Remembrance Day disruption
Dissident republicans displayed their contrition for the deaths of 11 people and the injury of more than 60 in the 1987 Enniskillen bombing by disrupting the equivalent parade 20 years later with a bomb-hoax and actually planting a primitive device at a ceremony in Newry.
In a galling display of hypocrisy Sinn Fein MLA Mickey Brady condemned these actions with the statement: "People and communities should be allowed to commemorate and remember their dead in peace, without hindrance and in a spirit of mutual respect". But what actually separates the mentality of the dissident groups who carried out these despicable actions at the weekend and the republicans who Mr Brady’s party represents who actually carried out the bombing 20 years ago?
Other than the fact that tactically mainstream republicans have decided that inflicting death and injury on innocent people is for the time being counter-productive, the only qualitative difference is that the PIRA had a greater capacity to actually inflict the damage, rather than making notional gestures towards doing so.
It is worth noting that no-one has ever been convicted of the Remembrance Day Bombing in Enniskillen and that republicans have not yet displayed actual penitence by moving to bring the mass murderers to justice. Until Mr Brady’s organisation can show that they are meaningfully remorseful for their murderous actions, they should refrain from sermonising against groups who are after all simply maintaining the detestable traditions which his party have only recently strategically set aside.
In a galling display of hypocrisy Sinn Fein MLA Mickey Brady condemned these actions with the statement: "People and communities should be allowed to commemorate and remember their dead in peace, without hindrance and in a spirit of mutual respect". But what actually separates the mentality of the dissident groups who carried out these despicable actions at the weekend and the republicans who Mr Brady’s party represents who actually carried out the bombing 20 years ago?
Other than the fact that tactically mainstream republicans have decided that inflicting death and injury on innocent people is for the time being counter-productive, the only qualitative difference is that the PIRA had a greater capacity to actually inflict the damage, rather than making notional gestures towards doing so.
It is worth noting that no-one has ever been convicted of the Remembrance Day Bombing in Enniskillen and that republicans have not yet displayed actual penitence by moving to bring the mass murderers to justice. Until Mr Brady’s organisation can show that they are meaningfully remorseful for their murderous actions, they should refrain from sermonising against groups who are after all simply maintaining the detestable traditions which his party have only recently strategically set aside.
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