RESIDENTS PLAN MORE ANTI-DRUGS PROTESTS

Residents of the south Armagh village of Bessbrook who organised an
anti-drugs protest are planning further demonstrations, it emerged
today.

Organisers of the protest have pledged to repeat last night's
demonstration when residents took to the streets to voice their anger.

Their pledge comes despite warnings from the RUC that the protest was
an illegal assembly.

The names of a number of protestors were taken by police and people
were told that their details may be passed to the Director of Public
Prosecutions, organisers claimed.

One of the organisers today praised the behaviour of protestors and
vowed to repeat the exercise until 'the drugs problem is ended.''The
protest was a non-political, cross-community protest and we had over
400 people who came out to voice their opposition.

'We would intend to have another protest in the near future and
everybody is invited to come along and support us.'Conor Murphy, Sinn
Fein Assembly member for Newry and Armagh, turned up to lend his
support to the organisers.

'This was a community-organised initiative and I commend the people of
the area for their efforts to tackle this problem,' he said.

'It is ironic that drug dealing is going on night and day in Bessbrook
and yet when the local people gather to voice their opposition they
are threatened with prosecution.

'Bessbrook is a garrission, with security forces all over the place.
There is no way drug dealing should be able to go ahead.'Danny
Kennedy, Ulster Unionist Assembly member for the area, said that he
feared public protests would not help the cause of those campaigning
against drugs.

'I am concerned that while many of those in the crowd were anti-drugs
there was also a strong element who are anti- RUC,' he said.