Ciaran Cunningham, from the Republican Network for Unity, made the comment at a protest calling for the release of four Derry republicans currently facing IRA membership charges in the Republic.

The protest was organised by the 32CSm and was attended by representatives of the IRSP, Concerned Republicans and the Republican Network for Unity.

Francie Mackey, chairperson of the 32 County Sovereignty Movement called on all republicans who are opposed to the Sinn Féin strategy to work together.

“If we are to challenge the current position of internment by remand then republicans need to be united. The ground work for unity had already been laid. The republican movement can only be unified if the movement is open and honest. There can be no more elitest leadership; no more superficial debates. All policy must be formulated together. Republican unity is the only way forward,” he said.

Ciaran Cunningham told the crowd or around 100 people that they could face arrest for attending the demonstration.

“All of us here are living in a dangerous age. It has been 14 years since the first ceasefire and they still want to shoot us on sight. In the last ten years republican revolutionaries have been painted as heretics. Republicans have been arrested in the past and the evidence offered against them has been that they have attended a protest like this one,” he added.