Republican News · Thursday 25 October 2001

Duncairn family attacked

The home of a Catholic family, living on Duncairn Gardens, was attacked by a gang of loyalists as the family sat down to tea on Wednesday afternoon, 17 October. The loyalist stone throwers came through the peace line gate into Duncairn Gardens and stoned the Catholic house, breaking the front window.

Nationalist residents have called for the gate to be locked or permanently sealed as loyalists have continually come through the gate in their incursions into Duncairn Gardens.

This area has also suffered from loyalist pipe bomb attacks. Last Tuesday evening, 16 October, two pipe bombs exploded close to houses on the junction of Duncairn Gardens and Halliday's Road.

Sinn Féin councillor Gerard Brophy blamed the UDA and said the family targeted had received death threats in recent weeks.

"It's a disaster this gate has been left open, because this is always the result. The gate is not needed because it does not lead to houses or shops. It's about time unionist politicians spoke out about this. It's only a matter of time before we're pulling bodies out of here," said Brophy.

Longlands estate under siege

Residents from the Longlands estate on the outskirts of North Belfast are taking drastic measures to protect their homes from attack by loyalist gangs.

The residents have taken to wrapping black bin liners around street lamps on the estate, in effect imposing their own blackout in a bid to foil the loyalist gangs who are throwing missiles from nearby Whitewell Road at homes and residents' cars.

Families have also been filling wheelie bins with water in case of any arson attacks, as loyalists have launched numerous petrol bombs on Longlands.

The residents say they are willing to put up with the blackout if it prevents attacks on their homes, especially as the estate has been subjected to a barrage of attacks by petrol bombs, bricks, bottles and fireworks every night since Friday 12 October.

One 28-year-old mother, who is confined to a wheelchair, has had her home pelted nightly with paint bombs and fireworks. "Six weeks ago a petrol bomb bounced of the window sill and burnt itself out on the ground," she said. "Thank God, otherwise I'd be dead."

Residents say the UDA is busing people in from other areas of Belfast to carry out the attacks.

Long March group slammed

Derry-based human rights group, the Pat Finucane Centre, has hit out at the 'The Long March' committee, which plans to protest outside the venue of the Bloody Sunday inquiry on 10 November.

The Long March committee intend marching from Drumahoe, just outside Derry City, to the Cenotaph in Derry City Centre, where they will lay a wreath and hold a service before marching on to rally at the Guildhall, where the Bloody Sunday inquiry is being held.

According to the spokesperson, they are organising the rally to highlight a campaign for an inquiry into "the genocide which has been carried out by IRA terrorism against the pro-Union people of Northern Ireland over the past 30 years". Details of the march and rally were first announced at a Grand Protestant Committee rally in Ballymena town hall earlier in the month and it has been revealed that the march has been advertised on the events page of an extremist loyalist website linked to the Orange Volunteers.

A spokesperson for the Pat Finucane Centre has urged the organisers of the rally to leave their banners outside and attend the Bloody Sunday inquiry. "Perhaps then, they would begin to understand what was done in their name on Bloody Sunday and accept that deep hurt was caused to both unionists and nationalists over the past 30 bloodly years," he said.

The spokesperson also revealed that the Pat Finucane Centre has written to the RUC, urging them to investigate some of the comments made at the Ballymena rally, saying these could contravene incitement to hatred laws.

Manor Close residents demand security fencing

Residents from the Manor Close area in the Lower Oldpark area of North Belfast are demanding security fencing be built around the back of their homes after a catalogue of loyalists attacks since the summer.

Last Thursday evening, 18 October, in the nearby Clifton Park Avenue, a loyalist gunman fired a number of shots at local residents. Sinn Féin's Margaret McClenaghan told An Phoblacht that the residents were lucky to escape with their lives.

In the past weeks, in the run up to the shooting, there have been almost nightly attacks, including pipe bomb attacks, in which residents believe they were lucky to escape injury.

One resident, Linda Hardy, told how she and her three daughters have been forced to sleep in the front bedroom for months due to the nightly attacks. The latest attack was on an elderly woman's home, as loyalists smashed all the windows in the house.

Community worker Manus Maguire said it was essential that the Oaklee housing group offer local residents much needed security.

"We have three main concerns," said Maguire. "We want the windows strengthened and the oil tanks protected in case they are set alight and the fencing at the rear of the houses to be extended. Without these necessary improvements being carried out, the residents will not be safe."

Sinn Féin Councillor Eoin Ó Broin told An Phoblacht, "some of the residents are talking about a rent strike if Oaklee do not protect the homes which they helped build."