Guildhall Square, venue for next Monday’s public rally in support of threatened council staff.
The public have been called on to come out in force to attend a public rally to be held in support of City Council staff who are living under death threats from a group calling itself the IRA.
The city’s Community Safety Wardens were withdrawn from their duties following the threat on Tuesday last.
Since then, the IRA has extended its threat to “all community workers.”
In a statement to the Derry Jornal, the group said anyone deemed to be “actively or passively” assisting ‘Crown Forces could “expect the same fate as a British police officer or soldier.
“We are warning all community workers not to do the work of the Crown Forces.
“This applies to all no matter who they work for or which political party they are connected to.”
The rally will take place in Guildhall Square from 12.00 noon to 2.00pm on Monday next.
The event will take place ahead of an emergency meeting of the Council being held to discuss the threats against its staff.
Calling for support for the rally, the city’s Mayor, Brenda Stevenson, said urged “as many people as possible” to go along to show their opposition to the threats and to lend their support to the staff who were in an “intolerable situation.”
She added: “It is important that the city comes together to form a united front against this continued intimidation of our workers who are providing an excellent service in our local communities,” she said.
Sharon O’Connor, Town Clerk and Chief Executive with Derry City Council has reiterated that her prime concern was to provide support to all staff and their families.
She added: “It is important that Church leaders, unions, community activists, business leaders, employers and the wider public in this city and across the whole region to actively show their opposition to these threats.
“We are not going back to the days of the past of living in fear and intimidation, we need to stand together and tell these people that we will not tolerate their threats.”
She concluded: “We want this ongoing intimidation to end immediately and assurances put in place that will allow Council staff to work to serve their local communities.”
