The Five Demands

Peter Robinson: Sinn Fein’s nauseating conduct unacceptable (NewsLetter)

The protest action taken by Sinn Fein is unacceptable in any democratic country operating under the rule of law.

The publicly conveyed threat to the PSNI delivered by the highest levels of Sinn Fein that they will reassess their attitude to policing if Gerry Adams is charged is a despicable, thuggish attempt to blackmail the PSNI.

The threat now means that ordinary decent citizens will conclude that the PSNI and the PPS have succumbed to a crude and overt political threat if Adams is not charged.

The PSNI must not be the subject of republican bullyboy tactics.

They must be completely free to follow any and all evidence regardless of where it takes them and to decide free of political considerations whether suspects will be charged or not.

The hive of activity to pressurise the police from charging Adams is obscene politicising of the policing process.

I warn Sinn Fein that they have crossed the line and should immediately cease this destructive behaviour.

The inconsistency of the Deputy First Minister is clear for all to see. He seems incapable of supporting the PSNI when it comes to the investigation of Mr Adams.

What we need in these circumstances is leadership – it is patently absent in the republican movement.

Their actions allow only one conclusion to be reached – republicans believe they are not subject to the rule of law in the same way as they demand others to be made amenable to the rule of law.

All democrats around the world, who believe it is an immutable obligation for every elected representative to uphold the rule of law and encourage others to do so, will be nauseated by the conduct of Sinn Fein.

The police and the prosecution service should not allow themselves to be intimidated by Sinn Fein.