Republican News · Thursday 11 October 2001

UDA attack city centre bar

The weekend gun attack on Lavery's Bar in Belfast city centre was the work of the UDA, says Sinn FÈin's Alex Maskey.

A number of shots were fired at the bar in Belfast's Bradbury Place, near the so-called 'Golden Mile' on Sunday night 7 October. No one was injured, even though the shots struck the front of the building above the door.

According to Maskey, the shooting came 24 hours after up to 40 uniformed and masked UDA members, some of whom were armed, staged a show of strength on Bradbury Place.

"These UDA members blocked traffic with impunity on Bradbury Place. As this area is usually heavily patrolled by the RUC and monitored by CCTV, it will be interesting to see the RUC's reaction to this paramilitary display," said Maskey.

Earlier, on Saturday 8 October the UDA had been involved in a huge show of strength in Tiger's Bay in North Belfast, as hundreds of UDA members, led by masked colour parties, paraded through the area to commemorate one of their commanders, Tommy English, killed by the UVF during last year's loyalist feud.

The UDA in Tiger's Bay has been involved in most of the recent trouble in North Belfast. The area is adjacent to the New Lodge area at North Queen Street and the Limestone Road, where nationalists have been targeted with both bombs and guns.

Coleraine gun attack

A weekend gun attack on the home of a Catholic man living in Coleraine, County Derry was also the work of the UDA.

A burst of gunfire was directed at the man's home in the early hours of Saturday morning, 6 October. Although the shots entered the front room of the house, no one was injured as the occupant was upstairs at the time.

The council employee is the latest Catholic living in and around the North Derry town to be targeted by the UDA. Numerous bomb and gun attacks have been directed at Catholic homes. On 23 June of this year a Catholic man, John McCormick, was shot dead by a UDA gang as he sat in his Ballysally estate home. Four children, including the dead man's two sons, witnessed the killing.