Nationalists beaten in Castlederg
A number of nationalists were attacked after a Loyalist march in
the County Tyrone town of Castlederg on Saturday, April 25. Two
men who were dragged out of a cafe and beaten in the street. One
of their assailants was identified as the son of an RUC man.
other man was assaulted as he walked through the
Head-of-the-Town area.
Charlie McHugh, Sinn Fein vice-Chair of Strabane District
Council, suspended standing orders at the council's monthly
meeting to debate the Parades issue. ``Efforts must be made to
impress on people from both sections of the community,'' said
councillor McHugh, ``that there are no free days out to insult
your neighbour.''
Some twenty bands took part in the parade which lasted four hours
and resulted in severe traffic disruption. Castlederg Young
Loyalists band, founded by UUP Councillor Derek Hussey, insisted
on marching through the nationalist Ferguson Crescent area. On
Easter Sunday a bus carrying a local republican band to their
commemoration in Carrickmore was tailed by the RUC and stopped at
Garvetagh. Everyone on board, including children, were then
ordered off and questioned while being pushed with rifle butts.
``This is how the Nationalist people of Castlederg are being
treated'' said Councillor McHugh.
Traders in Ferguson Crescent, Castlederg have joined with
Councillor McHugh in calling for the area to become a `no-go'
area for the parade as they feel it is antagonistic. Only two
years ago riots erupted in the town after the parade.
On Friday night, May 1, a Loyalist march through Newtonstewart
resulted in the town being sealed off for almost four hours to
enable the crown forces to force the parade through mixed housing
estates and along the main Omagh to Strabane road. A band from
Limavady stopped outside the home of a nationalist family in one
of the estates to aggressively sing ``the Sash'', terrifying the
young children in the house. A nationalist couple were also
attacked on the same night.
``People here are fed up with this,'' said Councillor McHugh, ``But
many are too frightened to say anything.''
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