Republican News · Thursday 15 August 2002

Unite against sectarianism

BY MICHAEL PIERSE

Sinn Féin's Mitchel McLaughlin last night rejected comments from loyalist John White attempting to apportion blame for sectarian violence onto republicans. The party chair has also repeated Sinn Féin's call for a broad-front campaign against sectarianism in the Six Counties.

White made his comments after a meeting with British minister Des Browne at Stormont on ways to end interface violence and two days after young nationalist Chris Whitson died as a result of injuries received in a sectarian attack in Portrush ten days earlier. White, of the Ulster Political Research Group -- which politically represents the UDA -- said there was a near-consensus against sectarianism but that republicans needed to accept their role in the disturbances.

McLaughlin rejected these allegations on the eve of a Sinn Féin press conference, to be held tomorrow afternoon, at which the party will respond to a report from the Housing Executive revealing that 50 families have been forced to leave their Antrim homes in the last number of months - mainly by loyalist organisations.

If John White wishes to be taken seriously, McLaughlin said, then he and other unionists would have to admit that the vast majority of sectarian violence is emanating from loyalist areas.

"Even independent observers are now in a position to corroberate that 90% of the violence is being carried out by unionists, and that the primary organisation involved is the UDA. If John White wants to taken seriously, then he has to admit that the vast, vast majority of violence is coming from the Loyalist community.

"We put proposals regarding a united front against sectarianism to both governments in the recent Hillsborough talks - calling for a campaign in which the political parties and others can express their abhorrence for what is currently going on and allowing the primacy of politics to develop."

Meanwhile, a leading figure in an Ulster Unionist pro-Agreement pressure group today slammed loyalists who have attacked or intimidated Catholics from their homes.

Former Irish rugby international and founder of the pressure group Re-Union, Trevor Ringland, said many unionists felt "a real sense of anger" about the attacks and he called on colleagues to condemn loyalist violence as vigorously as they condemn republicans.

"Clearly I acknowledge that, in interface areas of Belfaste specially, Protestants are being attacked day and night. Republicans cannot hide from their responsibility to do something to help calm that situation," he said.

"However, the ongoing violence this summer, perpetrated by anti-Agreement forces within loyalism who are hellbent on chasing Catholic families out of Protestant areas, does nothing to strengthen the Union.

"In fact, it only serves to help those republicans who want to portray Northern Ireland as some sort of unworkable entity."

Ringland said that some unionist politicians "only seem to be able to see wrong on one side".

"It is also time that all unionist politicians were honest with the unionist community and provide necessary and clear leadershipto help create a peaceful, economically prosperous and politically stable Northern Ireland for the benefit of all the people."

His comments came after further loyalist attacks in north and east Belfast.