Stop police Harassment

national | miscellaneous | news report Tuesday August 13, 2002 14:26 by COCAD - Coalition of Communities Against Drugs cocad at eircom dot net

Target the drug pushers - not the Anti-Drugs activists

Here is the text of a leaflet about the police harassment of a community anti-drugs activist in Dublin's North Inner City. A protest is being organised at Store Street Garda Station on Saturday 17th August. Meet at the Memorial Statue in Sean McDermott Street at 1.30pm.

Jimmy Mulhall is a well respected anti-drugs activist in the North Inner City. Jimmy and his family have been subjected to an ongoing campaign of harassment by the Gardai.

This harassment began back in 1996 at the height of the Anti-Drugs campaign in Dublin. Jimmy was a leading figure in the Anti-Drugs campaign at this time and he believes that he is being targeted by Gardai because of his prominence in that campaign. Jimmy believes that the highlighting of the drug problem in Dublin embarrassed both the politicians and the Gardai, and attempts were made to stop the campaign.

At a time when parents all over the city were objecting to drug dealing, people such as Jimmy should have been commended, not victimised.

Most recently, the Mulhall family home was raided by up to a dozen Gardai who were allegedly looking for stolen money. Jimmy’s sons are regularly harassed and arrested. Even the recent death of one of his sons has not stopped the persecution.

What has the Mulhall family done to deserve this? Jimmy’s only crime is to work to make his community a better place to live in.

How many big drug dealers in the North Inner City have been harassed? The drug problem in this area is getting worse, heroin is everywhere, and what are the Gardai doing about it?

With reports of Garda corruption in Donegal, Garda violence against peaceful demonstrators in Dame Street, the shooting of John McCarthy in Abbeylara, and court cases about serious Garda corruption, surely the Gardai should be investigating their own problems, not wasting their time and resources victimising decent members of this community.

Support Jimmy Mulhall and his family by demonstrating outside Store Street Garda station

Meet Saturday 17th at 1:30pm at the Memorial Statue in Sean McDermott St.

Tell the police - harass the drug pushers, not our community.

Issued by the Coalition of Communities Against Drugs