A Sinn Féin constituency office in Northern Ireland has been attacked by dissident republican arsonists, it was revealed today.
Smoke and electrical damage was caused after petrol was poured through the front door in Londonderry and set alight, a party spokesman said.
The Real IRA is due to hold a ceremony in the city tomorrow claiming responsibility for murdering Sinn Fein former Stormont administration head and British spy Denis Donaldson in 2006.
The west Belfast man was shot dead in a remote Co Donegal cottage.
The arson incident happened overnight at the unit at Rathmore shopping centre in the Creggan after the vandals cut through metal shutters.
Derry Sinn Féin chairperson Paul Fleming said: "If those who carried out this attack think they were striking a blow for Irish freedom then they are deluding themselves."
He said they destroyed pictures of former hunger striker Bobby Sands' election victory announcement, portraits of other hunger strikers and republican memorabilia.
Mr Donaldson, former head of Sinn Fein's administration at Stormont, was murdered at a remote Glenties, Co Donegal, cottage three years ago.
The Real IRA is due to claim the killing at a 32 County Sovereignty Movement Easter commemoration in Londonderry tomorrow.
Sinn Féin deputy first minister Martin McGuinness branded the dissidents traitors after they killed two soldiers last month at Massereene army barracks in Antrim.
A Real IRA Easter statement carried in today's Sunday Tribune said: "A former comrade, (Martin McGuinness), has come full circle and with a knight of the British realm (Police Service of Northern Ireland chief constable Sir Hugh Orde) at his shoulder he has labelled our gallant volunteers as traitors to justify his Redmondite (anti-violent republicanism) stance and home rule politics.
"Let us remind our former comrade of the nature and actions of a traitor. Treachery is collaborating with the enemy, treachery is betraying your country."
Mr McGuinness' criticism, which included the killing of a policeman in Craigavon by the Continuity IRA, helped persuade colleagues in the powersharing government of Sinn Féin's commitment to non-violence.
The Real IRA statement added: "Let us give our one-time comrade an example. Denis Donaldson was a traitor and the leadership of the Provisional movement, under guidance from the British government, made provision for Donaldson to escape republican justice.
"It fell to the volunteers of Oglaigh na hÉireann to carry out the sentence and punishment demanded in our army orders and by the wider republican family.
"No traitor will escape justice regardless of time, rank, past actions. The republican movement has a long memory."
The Real IRA spokesman claimed two Real IRA members armed with a sledgehammer and a shotgun broke down the door of Donaldson's cottage.
"He just ran into the back room. There was a struggle and he ended up on the ground.
"He didn't cry out or plead for mercy. He remained silent all the time."
The spokesman claimed the two weapons used to kill the soldiers at Massereene army barracks, hadn't been found.
Security experts were surprised the Massereene getaway car had not been burned out.
But the Real IRA said it had been doused in petrol and was ablaze.
"Because a window hadn't been left open the fire burned itself out," he added.
He threatened policemen.
"Any young person fool enough to join the colonial police in the belief that the leadership of the Provisional movement will protect them or give them cover is sadly mistaken."
PA