Renewed Antrim attacks
After a lull of a number of weeks, loyalist bombers have renewed their attacks on Catholic families in the Antrim area. Over the weekend, the homes of two Catholic families, living in Birchill Park and the Springfarm Estate, respectively, were targeted.
In the first incident, a man who had been living in the predominantly loyalist Birchill Park area for over 20 years vowed to leave his home. The man, who didn't want to be identified, said that he and his two grown up sons had been living away from the house after masked gunmen threatened and assaulted them a couple of weeks ago.
The last straw came for him when a petrol bomb was thrown through the upstairs window of the house in the early hours of Sunday morning 1 April, causing damage to a bedroom. At the time of the petrol bombing the house was unoccupied, as the man and his sons had moved in with relatives as they waited to be rehoused.
Just 24 hours earlier, a Catholic family of six living on the Springfarm estate was the target of loyalist arsonists, who pushed lighted paper through a window. Alerted by their fire alarm, the family, including a heavily pregnant woman and children aged six and three, were able to make their escape. The pregnant woman, however, was injured as she climbed out of a downstairs window. Although admitted to hospital for observation, she was discharged on Sunday.
Sinn Féin representative for the Antrim area, Martin Meehan, said the reality for Catholics in the area was that they were living under the constant threat of loyalist attacks.
``Loyalist gangs have been involved in a systematic campaign of intimidation in an attempt to drive Catholics from the town,'' said Meehan.
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