Republican News · Thursday 12 September 2002

Mast deflected

Sinn Féin's Michael Ferguson has praised local West Belfast residents who stopped the installation of a mobile phone mast near their homes in the Glengoland area.

As workmen from the Hutchinson 3G company arrived in the area last Tuesday 3 September to erect the mast, they were confronted by angry residents. Accompanied by the Sinn Féin representative, up to ten residents stood in the hole dug for the mast and refused to move. The RUC/PSNI was called to the scene to remove the protesters but they withdrew after a deal was struck in which the workmen agreed to fill in the hole.

On Monday 9 September, Ferguson and a group of Sinn Féin activists, including Councillor Paul Maskey from Andersonstown, stopped Hutchinson 3G from erecting two masts on the Stewartstown Road in an area where three schools, two nurseries, a health centre and an old people's home are located.

Later on Monday, up to 80 protesters held a protest outside Woodbourne RUC/PSNI barracks to express their concern that the RUC/PSNI may be used to enforce the erection of phone masts in built-up areas.

Said Ferguson: "We are being microwaved to death here. We recognise that many people want and use mobile phones and that masts are required. However, the location of masts must be a collective decision and it is essential that there are safe zones introduced which ensure that masts are not located in the vicinity of densely populated residential areas."