Republican News · Thursday 28 August 2003

Catholic teenagers hurt in sectarian attack

A North Belfast father has told how his son was one of three teenagers attacked by a gang of unionist paramilitaries carrying baseball bats and golf clubs, as they walked along Alliance Avenue on Saturday afternoon, 23 August.

The three young nationalists were walking along Alliance Avenue and had just reached the junction of the Deerpark Road when two men in a Vauxhall Vectra approached from the direction of the loyalist Glenbryn area and blocked their way.

As they turned around to make their escape, a Peugeot 306 carrying five men came from the other direction and blocked their way.

The seven loyalists began to beat the Catholic teenagers with baseball bats and golf clubs. One of them managed to escape to a nearby house and raise the alarm.

The seven men got back into their cars and made off in the direction of the loyalist Glenbryn.

Sixteen-year-old Jim Foster Jnr, who lives in Ardoyne, received a fractured arm. One of his friends received puncture wounds and bad bruising to his back.

Foster's father fears for young nationalist in the area after his son had his arm broken in the sectarian attack.

"My son has been badly affected by this attack and his friends are very scared," he said. "It has been fairly quiet around this area during the summer, but these sort of sectarian attacks are happening and they don't make the headlines. Young people around here have to be very careful".

Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan said that only for cars stopping and people coming out of their homes, the boys could have been killed.

"The UDA are intent on raising sectarian tensions in the North Belfast area. These sectarian attacks are becoming more frequent and they are becoming particularly vicious in their nature," she said. "I am urging all unionist politicians to take stock of what is happening in this area and to get these sectarian attacks stopped immediately".

McClenaghan called on nationalists to be very vigilant in the coming weeks.

Catholic family forced to move

A woman whose North Belfast home has been the target of a series of sectarian attacks by loyalists has said she cannot take any more and is moving out.

In the latest attack by a loyalist gang, the living room window of her house on the Deerpark Road was smashed and plant pots were also damaged at the weekend.

The woman, who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of more attacks, said her daughter is too frightened to stay in the house.

"My oldest girl, who is seven, won't stay in the house any longer, so basically it's only me and my six-month-old child. This latest attack is the last straw. We are being attacked because we are Catholics and we have to get out before someone in my family is killed or seriously injured."

Several months ago, her cat was mutilated and thrown into her front garden and sectarian graffiti aimed at her and her neighbours has been spray painted onto houses in the street.

Oldpark Sinn Féin councillor Margaret McClenaghan has put the blame for the escalation in sectarian attacks on the UDA.

"It's definitely the work of the UDA. It seems they want to increase tensions around here for whatever reasons," she said. "This is a mixed area but there are at least two other Catholic families who have been ordered out of Deerpark by these UDA thugs."

McClenaghan has called on political and community activists from the unionist community to take leadership of this problem and put a stop to it at once.

Sinn Féin slams Parades Commission determination

The Parades Commission's decision to allow a Royal Black Preceptory march to parade pass the Ardoyne shops on Saturday has been criticised by Sinn Féin as pandering to the Loyal Orders once again.

The commission gave the decision to allow two lodges march past nationalist houses on the Crumlin Road before going to the main demonstration in Ballynahinch, County Down.

Sinn Féin councillor Margaret McClenaghan said that once again the Commission has bowed under pressure and granted a triumphalist march permission to pass Ardoyne despite the Loyal Orders' refusal to talk to anyone to resolve the marching situation.

"Each year, we see marches being allowed to march through nationalist communities while local residents are subjected to militaristic operations hemming them into their homes from the early hours," she said. "This is despite the continual efforts of the local residents and their community and political representatives, who have attempted to foster dialogue in order to achieve a long term solution. But there is no reciprocation whatsoever coming from any of the Loyal Orders."

Systematic crusade against Catholics

Lagan Valley Sinn Féin councillor Paul Butler has accused loyalists of being involved in a systematic campaign of intimidation against Catholics in the Lisburn area.

Butler told An Phoblacht that in recent times his home has been attacked by loyalists with fire bombs and that numerous threats, including one naming his partner, have been painted on walls in Dunmurry and outside the council office in Lisburn.

He vowed that he will not be silenced by those leading the sectarian campaign, which has resulted in him receiving a live bullet through the post along with a death threat.

"It is a sustained effort to intimidate me from continuing to expose sectarianism from both inside and outside Lisburn City Council," he said.

Butler called on the MP for the area, Jeffrey Donaldson, to speak out against the ongoing campaign of sectarian intimidation, which has resulted in numerous Catholic families having to move from their homes.

"In other areas of the constituency, particularly in Stoneyford, over twelve Catholic families have been forced to put their homes up for sale in recent times, such is the ongoing sectarian intimidation. This situation cannot be allowed to continue. We need to see a united political front to expose and end this vicious anti-Catholic crusade and the Lagan Valley MP needs to be at the forefront of this."