Garvaghy Road siege ignites
by Ned Kelly
Over one hundred Loyalists gathered at the Orange Hall on the corner
of Corcrain Road across from Obins Street on the Wednesday evening of
St Patrick's Day and the eve of human rights solicitor Rosemary
Nelson's funeral.
With pounding lambeg drums they taunted and verbally abused local
Nationalist residents. They singled out the late Rosemary Nelson for
particularly obscene abuse.
The RUC, present from the outset, failed to intervene as a Catholic
family from Corcrain Mews was singled out for attack. The family were
forcibly put out of their home and have since decided not to return.
Shortly after 7.30pm the RUC leapt into action and without warning
baton charged the growing Nationalist crowd that had gathered in
response to the Loyalist threats and intimidation.
Independent Nationalist councillors Joe Duffy and Breandan
MacCionnaith, who represent the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition,
received serious injuries as the RUC charged the crowd. MacCionnaith
received an eye wound as an RUC officer smashed him across the face
with a baton, breaking his glasses in the process. Duffy, beside
MacCionnaith, received a suspected fracture. It is believed that
20-24 plastic bullets were also fired at the Garvaghy Road residents.
RUC boss, at the scene, Tom Craig admitting that Mr MacCionnaith was
beaten by one of his men, claimed it was ``accidental'', a claim
rubbished by MacCionnaith, Duffy and Sinn Fein Assembly member Gerry
Kelly who was also present during the RUC baton charge.
A 14-year-old boy also received a plastic bullet injury to his hand
and a press photographer received a plastic bullet injury to the back
of the head. A number of other local residents were also injured in
the RUC attack.
Later that evening a young Catholic taxi-driver was pulled from his
taxi by a Loyalist gang and beaten.
Speaking to An Phoblacht an angry Breandan MacCionnaith said that
despite meetings with British Prime Minister Tony Blair last year and
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern just three weeks ago both governments and
David Trimble the area's MP, have shown a lack of will to resolve the
situation.
Mr MacCionnaith said, ``if the British and Irish governments had been
listening all along, I don't think this would have happened.''
``We have been living,'' added MacCionnaith, ``in a pressure cooker in
Portadown for so long, so many things that shouldn't be taken as
normal are being accepted by people not living here. All it took was
a spark to set off an explosion.''
Breandan MacCionnaith, also told An Phoblacht that during Rosemary
Nelson's funeral he spoke with Dublin Foreign Affairs Minister and
express the need for real action on the part of the Dublin
government.
Meanwhile on Thursday, following Rosemary Nelson's funeral 90 to 100
Loyalists gathered at Corcrain Road and moved to the Drumcree Hill.
At the other end of the Garvaghy Road, at Ballyoran Park near the GAA
club, another crowd of Loyalists gathered and hurled abuse and rocks
at people living the area. With feelings running high among young
nationalists the RUC moved in to seal off both ends of the Garvaghy
Road thus sparking a second night of rioting.
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