Politicians Blaming Ballymena Youth for Violent Unionist Firebomb Attacks?

by please Thu Aug 11, 2005 17:53

organise a sectarian parade from the other side! the mind boggles

by anti-sectarian Thu Aug 11, 2005 20:02

As someone who opposes Orange parades where ever they may take place, I was horrified at the pics of the Ballymena republican parade as seen on BBC NI news. Paramilitary colour party chanting I-I-I-I_N_L_A - it really was a mirror image of the loyalist coat trailing we see every marching season. The "Republican Youth" of Ballymena should cop themselves on.

by Not laying down for anyone Fri Aug 12, 2005 12:31

On the other hand, amazing to see how just the thought of a republican parade in Ballymena sent loyalists/unionists into attack mode. Keep your head down, if you are Catholic or Nationalist, if you want good relations with your neighbors, for if you raise your head, you will have your churches attacked, your homes bombed, your children attacked...life will be made miserable for you and those like you. A reminder that violent bigotry is not so far under the surface. Croppy lie down indeed!

by Mick Fri Aug 12, 2005 17:30

"Sectarian tensions have been bubbling in Ahoghill - before there was any parade" says Cops

SECTARIAN INFERNO -"Sectarian tensions have been bubbling in Ahoghill well before there was any parade mentioned." says BALLYMENA’S top police officer Terry Shevlin


Ballymena Times 4th August 2005

--------------------------------
BALLYMENA’S top police officer Terry Shevlin has said Monday morning’s near-fatal arson attack on a Catholic home in Ahoghill is a continuation of ‘simmering sectarian tensions’ in the village and not directly linked to the republican parade in Ballymena.
Superintendent Shevlin also called on community leaders and political representatives to use their influence to stop the attacks on Catholics in Ahoghill.

A woman and her 25-year-old son were lucky to escape from their Laurel Park home, which was set alight when flammable liquid was poured in through the letter-box. To save themselves, the pair were forced to jump from an upstairs window.

Oonagh Donaghy [46] said it was ‘likely’ that she and her son would now move out of the estate
Police are appealing for information after a man was seen running from the house at around 1.30am, Monday morning. They are treating the attack as attempted murder.

This latest attack on Laurel Park, comes just weeks after another Catholic woman was forced to flee her home in the neighbouring Brookfield Gardens estate.

As television and radio reporters clambered to relay another weekend of violence in Ballymena on Monday morning, Mr Shevlin said he was treating this attack with the ‘utmost seriousness’: [The attack on the Knockeene Crescent home on the same night was believed to be separate, involving loyalists.]

"There was a clear intent to harm and injure the occupants of this house. The woman and her son were forced to climb out of the upstairs window of their home. They were very, very lucky to escape from the fire, which has totally devastated the house. It was an incident, which could have led to a fatality.

"I am not making a direct link to the march in the town. After the consideration regarding the parade, by the [Parades] Commission, hopefully community tensions will drop off.
"Sectarian tensions have been bubbling in Ahoghill well before there was any parade mentioned. I am appealing to community representatives in the area to use their influence. This has got to stop.

"This was not just a scare tactic, this was a full blown attempt to seriously harm or murder people."
DUP Councillor Roy Gillespie who visited Mrs Donaghy, said those responsible would have to "answer to God".

"It’s very easy to say I condemn this, and it’s also easy to add to the tensions in the community.
"As I always do, I speak from a spiritual point. I would say – ‘treat others as you wish to be treated’. I spoke to the woman this morning and she was very frightened. She was very fortunate to have escaped.

"Do these people not realise the consequences of their actions? I am praying for the situation. These are very dangerous times we are living in."

Sinn Fein’s Philip McGuigan slammed unionists for ‘turning a blind eye’ to the continuing attacks:

"It was obviously the work of the North Antrim UDA. They seem determined to leave Ahoghill a complete no-go area for Catholics, some of whom have been living in Ahoghill all their lives.

"It is an absolute disgrace that the attacks continue to happen without any visible, practical intervention by elected unionism.

"I would call on the population of Ahoghill to come together and publicly express their disgust on these attacks on their Catholic neighbours."

Alliance representative Jayne Dunlop called on local people to help the police catch those responsible:

"There are people in our community who are intent on intimidating and hurting people and they need to be stopped.
"I would urge the police to redouble their efforts to apprehend these criminals and would ask local people to give any information they might have to the PSNI to enable them to tackle this problem effectively."

by Anti sectarian Fri Aug 12, 2005 19:28 Belfast

Criticising the paramilitary nature of the "Republican Youth" march is not the same as saying 'croppie lie down' - there are many ways of standing up to the bigotry experienced by Catholics across the Ballymena area, e.g. a civil rights march without paramilitary trappings could not be perceived by anyone as provocative. I don't think that people who are really against bigotry should be copying the bigots!

by Anti sectarian Fri Aug 12, 2005 20:35

Republicans have a sectarian march and there is riots by Loyalists.

Loyalist Orange Order have a march and there is rioting by Reoublicans.

Whats the difference? they are both equally sectarian groups having equally sectarian marches. And the rioters are both using the sectarian marches from the other 'community' to whip up riots and sectarianism in their own 'camp'.

What we need is a real alternative to this dead end sectarianism offered by the IRA/INLA/CIRA/UVF/LVF/UDA and the 4 sectarian parties. We need real left wing politics that unites working class people in a struggle againt their common enemies, the ruling class and capitalism.

by Barry Sat Aug 13, 2005 17:33

Theres a world of difference between the republican youth of Ballymena and the right wing religious bigots who attemted to launch a pogrom against the people of the fisherwick estate on Tuesday .

The fact is that Ballymenas catholic population cant even walk down the main street of their own town in daylight, never mind socialise in its bars without fear of sectarian attack . They have every right to reject the British state and identify their politics as republican . Shame on you for attempting to deny them that . They took to their OWN streets in a dignified manner in a political demonstration against the sectarian use of internment and anti-catholic and anti-Irish laws . The march itself was dedicated to a presbyterian martyr who fought against British occupation . William Orr was specifically chosen by the parade organisers to remind local youth of true republicanisms non-sectarian roots and agenda .

Rather than imitating orange bigots this parade was initiated as an alternative to nationalist bonfire culture which was rapidly turning into a drunken , anti-social mirror image of the 11th night . Paddy Murray and his comrades should be commended for their initiative and not condemned .

Its worth remembering here that the 4 main parties , Sinn Fein , DUP, SDLP and the Official Unionists all condemned this parade and made strenuous efforts to have it called off . Sinn Fein spread black propaganda and even made late night visits to the homes of local republicans warning them to stay away from the parade . Thankfully many of their own local members ignored them as well as orange threats . "anti - sectarian" has simply aligned himself here with the very establishment parties hes condemning himself .

Mirror image ?

by Anti Sectarian Sat Aug 13, 2005 17:50 Belfast

Barry, I agree with you that the IRA/INLA and UDA/UVF are not mirror images - there is another "Anti sectarian" posting here but not giving an address. Of course, there is a difference between the violence of the oppressed and the violence of the oppressor - no one would say that in Iraq today the violence of the US/Brit troops is a mirror image of the resistance violence. BUT, I do think that it is time that those of us who want to see an end to the Northern state accept that the paramilitary road to that goal is over. Not sure if it ever made sense. But definitely does not today. The Ballymena march pics seen on TV looked just like a loyalist march - and perceptions matter, especially when it comes to provoking sectarian responses.

by Barry Sat Aug 13, 2005 18:29

sorry for not spotting the obvious difference in your argument there .

As regards the flute bands colour party highlighted by the media . Those wearing paramilitary style clothing were a colour party attached to an IRSP aligned band from outside the area . The people organising the parade were independent republicans , some of whom would be in the same orbit as 32csm who extended an invitation for them to attend . The band were in no way central to the parade or its organisation . Had this one band not attended there would have been no paramilitary trappings at all . It was not a paramilitary parade .

A senior IRSP spokesman addressed the parade and said basically the same thing as regards armed struggle as yourself .

http://b4.boards2go.com/boards/board.cgi?action=read&id=1123780727&user=32csm

While personally I dont agree 100 % with what yourself or Paul Lyttle says on this point its certainly an important topic which should be debated in an honest manner .

Given the current level of violent threat emanating from within unionism what do you suggest those people under that threat should do to defend themselves ? Are we to rely on the PSNI calling to our doors with fireblankets and pointing out the best window to jump from in the middle of the night with our homes ablaze as they are doing in Ahoghill ?

Should we join the PSNI en masse in order to acquire legal firearms to defend our homes ? How can working class catholics in the North hope to defend themselves from a vicious and ever present threat wiyhout arms and the men and women who are capable of using them ?

Without armed republican paramilitary organisations we are totally defenceless gainst heavily armed and vicious loyalist gangs whom the PSNI have a track record of turning a blind eye to . That is a fact of life for 1000s of working class people in the North . Look at how only weeks ago the stood idly by and allowed the UVF and UDA to openly patrol the Garnerville estate in Belfast in broad daylight and evict other loyalists from their homes .

The Provos are finished as even a defence force never mind a revolutionary one. Where should defenceless catholics look to for armed defence when its necessary ? And make no mistake about it catholics will have to reach for the gun to defend their homes here in the future . The threat of the gun is the only thing keeping many catholic homes from going up in smoke every marching season .

Negative violent loyalism can only be emboldened by the provos standing down order and its moves to fully decomiision . In the event of these negative forces going on the rampage again what do you prpose vulnerable areas should do in defence ?

This is a serious question and not meant to be deliberately confrontational .