Republican News · Thursday 4 July 2002

Living in fear

Little Shauna Shepherd stands at the barrier at the bottom of Newington Street in North Belfast.

The RUC/PSNI have said they are going to remove this barrier, which affords the residents of Newington Street some protection from loyalist death squads. This pitiful excuse for a policing service has cited ``operational matters''. The threat to nationalist residents is very real, as this area has been under sustained attack from loyalists for the last 18 months. It is one of the most bombed streets in North Belfast, as it sits across the so-called peaceline from loyalist Tiger's Bay.

``Operational matters have never saved any lives in this community,'' says Sinn Féin's Gerard Brophy. ``I am not worried about operational matters; I am worried about lives in this community.''