Republican News · Thursday 15 August 2002

Racist UDA mural slammed

Patrick Yu from the Council for Ethnic Minorities has slammed what he describes as a racially motivated mural painted on a wall in a UDA stronghold in South Belfast. "We are worried that this message will transform into racial harassment or an attack," said Yu.

Loyalists painted the Ku Klux Klan mural on a wall at Fane Street in South Belfast close to the loyalist Village area above UDA and Ulster Youth Movement murals. It is also near a UDA mural below the Tates Avenue Bridge. The black intimidating letters KKK surrounding a swastika on a white background feature prominently on the wall of a derelict building.

The Mayor of Belfast, Sinn Féin's Alex Maskey, has condemned the painting of the mural, saying that people who paint such murals offer nothing.

"These people are just racists and I am concerned that more racial attacks will be carried out, given the number of ethnic assaults which have already been carried out. We just have to look at the sectarian attacks being perpetrated by loyalists against Catholics."

Maskey called on the Loyalist Commission to use their influence to have flags removed from lamp posts in mixed areas after being contacted by residents in the Ballynafeigh and Ravenhill areas in particular.

Children escape birthday bomb.

A three-year-old boy had a lucky escape when he picked up a UDA pipe bomb which he found in the garden during a birthday party for his two-year-old cousin. The incident happened on Friday 9 August in the nationalist Largantogher Park in Maghera, County Derry.

According to the boy's grandfather, Peter Merron, there were 14 children, all under 11, at the birthday party for Aisling Hughes when Ronan found the device.

Merron said he was gathering the children together for a photograph when he called Ronan in. He noticed the child was carrying an object, which his uncle recognised was a bomb. The adults quickly brought the children inside.

"Its frightening to think what could have happened if Ronan had fiddled with it beside the other kids," said Merron.

Merron said the RUC/PSNI told him the device was in a poor state and could have been lying in the front garden for some time. The family received a threatening phone call in October and the device could have originated from then.

DUP claims over church service attack dismissed

Sinn Féin's Martin Meehan has hit out at allegations from the DUP's Willie McCrea that republicans were behind an attack on an open air Free Presbyterian Church Service on Sunday 11 August.

A crowd assaulted the 60-strong congregation with missiles and verbal insults during the service in Randalstown, County Antrim. Five people, including a disabled man, had to be taken to hospital and the PA system was destroyed.

Meehan told An Phoblacht: "Republicans totally abhor such attacks and would never be involved in such unwarranted assaults on a church service."

The Sinn Féin man said blame lay with a group of drunken thugs who don't even live in Randalstown and who have been causing problems within the nationalist community for some while. He called on McCrea and his colleagues to work together with other political groupings to deal with the anti-social element that has terrorised Randalstown and the surrounding area. "I asked for a civic forum to be set up in the Antrim Borough Council area to discus such behaviour, I did not get one political party to support me," said Meehan.

Meehan calls for release of weapon details

The gun used by the UDA to kill teenager Gerard Lawlor in North Belfast last month has been linked to the UDA killing of Sam Rocket, who had UVF connections, during the loyalist feud in August 2000.

It has been speculated that 'C company' of the UDA from the Lower Shankill area killed Gerard Lawlor as he walked home at midnight on Sunday 21 July.

Sinn Féin councillor for Newtownabbey, Breige Meehan, is calling on the RUC\PSNI to release the forensic history of the weapon to establish "who exactly was behind the killing".

UVF member Rocket (22) was killed as he visited his girlfriend´s Oldpark home during the loyalist feud. The killing was thought to be the UDA's response to the killings of senior UDA man Jackie Coulter. A second loyalist, Bobby Mahood, who ironically had UVF connections, was killed with Coulter.

"Everyone knows that the RUC Special Branch run the Shankill UDA and it appears they are suppressing information about this gun," said Meehan. "It would be interesting to see what other attacks have been carried out with this weapon".

Sectarian assaults in Derry

Waterside Sinn Fein councillor Lynn Fleming has condemned two sectarian attacks in Derry.

At around 6am on Friday 9 August, a 22-year-old Protestant man was attacked at Wapping Street on the edge of the Fountain Estate by up to five youths.

The young man´s mother said the attack was sectarian and that his attackers called him an "Orange bastard" as they kicked and beat him. He was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital, were he received five stitches to one eye and two to the other.

In a second, serious sectarian attack in Derry, a 15-year-old Catholic boy was attacked by a group of nine men and women. The incident happened outside Harberton House in the Waterside area of Derry as the boy made his way to his friends house at around 1am on Saturday, 10 August. The boy was struck in the face with a bottle then was kicked in the face before the gang stamped repeatedly on his head.

He too was taken to Altnagelvin Hospital, but Lynn Fleming said the boy could have died if he had not been found. "These attacks are totally and absolutely wrong, carried out by mindless thugs who don't represent anybody. Every person is entitled to walk and live freely wherever they want."

Undercover surveillance in West Belfast

undercover British soldier in full combat uniform was observed getting into a blue Hiace van on Monday 12 August near the Kennedy Centre in West Belfast.

The van, driven by a woman, was seen driving into the Kennedy complex on the Andersontown Road at around 10am, where it parked near undergrowth facing the Toymaster store.

The driver got out of the van and opened the back door of the vehicle. At this point a man, believed to be a British soldier dressed in combat clothing, was seen emerging from the undergrowth and getting into the back of the van. He was carrying a grip bag. His female accomplice closed the door quickly and drove away at speed.

Sinn Féin Councillor Paul Maskey said local people went to check the scene and found the undergrowth from where the figure came had been flattened, indicating that he had been there for some time.

"We know that covert operations have been going on in West Belfast for some time now, with the following of certain individuals. But as the Crown forces and the loyalist death squads are inextricability linked, I urge people to be extremely vigilant," said Maskey.