The families of Gary Donnelly, Michael Gallagher, Martin O’Neill and Paddy McDaid have also accused the republican leadership of ‘gross hypocrisy”, claiming the graffiti was painted over ahead of the national hunger strike commemoration march in Derry on Sunday.

The ‘Journal’ was contacted by several residents of Creggan, Bishop Street and the Bogside who insisted they had witnessed Sinn Fein activists removing the slogans on the march route 30 minutes prior to the commemoration.

A sister of Gary Donnelly, who has spent the last five months on remand in Dublin awaiting trial, challenged Sinn Fein to explain why the graffiti was removed.

“What gives these people the right to decide which graffiti can stay or go. Why did they not want people to see it?” Ms. Donnelly asked.

“It appears Sinn Fein wants our family silenced and they are using any tactic they can to get us to go away.”

A relatives of Michael Gallagher, another of those in jail, said: “It’s as if we are fighting the occupation and the Sinn Fein leadership at the same time.

“They marched on Sunday with their anti-internment and ‘the struggle goes on’ banners but yet they actively removed slogans calling for the support of jailed republicans.

“These slogans are as valid as the anti-internement graffiti of 30 years ago - they are the struggle continued.”

A spokesperson for the 32 County Sovereignty Committee said: “Sinn Fein brought this march to Derry in order to hit our support base which they know is growing. They are trying to curtail this support by any means necessary and this is further evidence of that.”

However, a spokesperson for Sinn Fein flatly rejected the claims: “Our elected representatives are currently fighting the legislation these four men are held under and we oppose internment in all its forms. However, on Sunday, Sinn Fein activists had more to do organising and running a very successful commemoration than to be thinking of graffiti.”