Portadown loyalists on rampage
A 200 strong mob of loyalists rampaged through a Portadown town
centre shopping mall on Saturday 29 August, shouting `Fenians get
out - this is Ulster' and attacking weekend shoppers, including a
relative of murdered Portadown nationalist Robert Hamill. Earlier
they had blocked traffic and distributed leaflets.
The mob turned on the woman, a cousin of Mr Hamill, who was with
the murdered man on the night last April when he was beaten by
loyalists. They shouted `Robert Hamill, Robert Hamill' and
assaulted her. After being admitted to hospital with cuts and
bruises to her arms and legs, the woman told the media, ``I felt
history was repeating itself.''
The woman said her sister had approached RUC men outside the
shopping centre and asked them to intervene, but that they failed
to respond. The cousin said, ``there were [RUC men] in boiler
suits as if they were waiting for something to happen but they
did nothing to assist us. I can't understand how so many
loyalists can come into town, march through the mall verbally
abusing customers and get away with it.''
According to eyewitnesses, the loyalist mob gathered in the town
at about 2pm but was not dispersed by the RUC until after 3.30pm.
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