Unionist paramilitaries intensify attacks

In the wake of the UDA campaign to drive Catholic residents from the Deerpark Road in North Belfast, unionist paramilitary activity has increased across the Six Counties. A group calling itself the Loyalist Action Force issued a death threat against Glengormley priest Fr Dan Whyte. The group is more than likely a bogus cover name for the UDA.

A journalist working for the North Belfast News has been told that he was under threat from the UDA and bombs were planted at Catholic schools in Dungiven in County Derry. On at least three occasions, Catholics have been lucky to escape with their lives from loyalist gangs.

And in an act of sickening sectarian hatred, Catholics attending a Blessing of the Graves devotion in Carnmoney were subjected to vicious barracking by up to 200 loyalists.

ATTACK OUTSIDE SCHOOL

An 18 year old pupil at St Gabriel's Secondary school, in North Belfast, was attacked by loyalists as he and a friend made their way home on Tuesday afternoon 16 September.

The Catholic sixth form pupils had just left the school and were walking along Hesketh Road when two loyalists jumped from behind bushes and attacked the two students with a lump of wood with nails in it.

One of the youths had his two front teeth knocked out and suffered a puncture wound to his bottom lip.

The two attackers ran off along Hesketh Road towards the loyalist Glenbryn estate.

A relation of the injured youth told how teachers from St Gabriel's always stand at Hesketh Road to protect pupils from sectarian attacks but the two students got out of school early which left them vulnerable to the attack.

"They were just walking along Hesketh Road and as they came to a corner house two loyalists jumped out from behind a hedge and slammed the lump of wood into the boy's face. There was blood everywhere. Michael had his two front teeth knocked straight out and he has a hole in his bottom lip caused by a nail that was in to the plank".

Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan condemned the sectarian attack on the youths saying that loyalists are intent on stirring up further sectarian trouble.

CATHOLIC LUCKY TO ESCAPE DEATH

Nationalists have been warned to be vigilant when travelling through the loyalist West Circular and Ballygomartin Roads in Belfast after a loyalist mob tried to abduct the occupants of two cars in separate sectarian attacks last week.

In the first attack on Thursday 11 September at around 7.30pm three nationalists in a car had stopped at the traffic lights at the junction of the two roads, which is a main thoroughfare through West Belfast, when a group of loyalists ran over to the car and began attacking it with sticks and bottles.

The young nationalist driver of the vehicle, who was wearing a Celtic top, tried to evade his assailants but crashed into a car in front and stalled the car.

The Catholic youth got out of the car and tried to escape but the loyalist mob caught up with him and attacked him with a heavy metal chain. They stole the young mans mobile phone and gold bracelet before a car travelling towards the Springfield Road stopped and rescued the terrified youth.

The two other passengers managed to escape their attackers.

The driver of the car who rescued the youth said that the young boy was lucky to escape with his life.

"I was driving home when I saw the incident and the young lad being beaten by a loyalist mob. There were about 10 of them but some started to use mobile phones and suddenly three cars appeared on the scene. We stopped and pulled the youth into the car before driving out of the area. The young man was terrified".

The woman added, "God knows what they would have done to the lad if we hadn't come along at the right time".

Then Friday 12 September at 9.30pm a car carrying three nationalists, one of whom was wearing a County Antrim GAA shirt, was attacked at the same traffic lights by around 20 to 30 loyalists.

The occupants managed to escape their attackers.

Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan has warned nationalists travelling from West to North Belfast to be very vigilant after these attacks.

"It seems to be that loyalists are watching vehicles travelling along the West Circular Road and any hint whatsoever that the occupants of the cars are Catholics they are using their mobile phones to summon gangs of loyalists to attack the cars at the traffic lights".

McClenaghan added that loyalists have been seen circling the area in cars looking out for intended targets.

"Nationalists should be very careful when travelling through these areas. "This young lad is very lucky to be alive, people should be vigilant at all times when travelling through this area".

DEERPARK HOMES ATTACKED AGAIN

meanwhile, Catholics in the Deerpark Road road area of North Belfast are recoevering after coming under attack for the third week running.

On Sunday 14 September at around 10.30pm, loyalists drove into the Deerpark Road in North Belfast in a red car. The driver of the car slowed down and two men got out of a car and threw bricks at two houses, breaking windows in both houses.

In one of the attacks a missile was thrown with such force that it embedded itself in a wall.

One of the occupants of the homes, who wishes to remain anonymous told how she saw the car drive into the Deerpark Road with its lights out.

"It was very suspicious as all its light were turned off. Two loyalists got out while the driver of the red car parked further up the street with the engine running. They got bricks from a building site beside our homes and threw them at the windows. They then ran and got back into the car and drove off towards the loyalist Torrens area.".

The woman told how her 13 year old daughter was terrified as the brick came through the double glazing at the front of the house.

"The glass was everywhere, my foot got cut as I tried to get out of the way. I have a 6 year old son with special needs and I'm thankful he slept through the attack but my daughter was petrified".

The woman said her husband chased the car but they made good their escape, driving past the massive Oldpark PSNI barracks.

North Belfast Sinn Fein councillor Margaret McClenaghan described the sectarian attack as a blatant act designed to instil fear into the Catholic residents of the Deerpark area.

"These are premeditated attacks orchestrated by well known unionist paramilitaries from the Glenbryn area. Everyone in the area knows who is carrying out these sectarian attacks but still the PSNI do nothing about them".

McClenaghan called on all political and community leaders from the Protestant community to condemn the attacks.

Below is a list of the recent loyalist activity:

A Catholic man is lucky to be alive after he was struck on the head with a hatchet by a gang of Shankill loyalists, as he walked home along Carrick Hill in the early hours of Sunday 7 September.
On Wednesday 10 September loyalists daubed sectarian graffiti on the front of St Mary's Catholic chapel in Glengormley. The slogan KAT (Kill all Taigs) was painted across the doors of the church on the Carnmoney Road.
In Derry last week, the UDA threatened to take action against what it described as 'known republicans' in the Waterside area. The warning was issued in a statement released by the Ulster Political Research Group and comes on the back of a press conference last month when the UPRG warned that the UDA ceasefire in Derry was coming under strain.
On Thursday 11 September, loyalists attacked cars at the West Circular and Ballygomartin Roads in Belfast. A young driver, targeted for wearing a Celtic top, was assaulted and robbed but narrowly escaped being abducted. On Friday 12 September a car carrying three nationalists, one wearing a County Antrim GAA shirt, was attacked at the same traffic lights by around 20 to 30 loyalists, but they managed to escape unscathed.
On Friday 12 September, members of the PSNI visited the offices of the North Belfast News to warn a journalist with the paper that his life is under threat from unionist paramilitaries. The journalist, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he would not be intimidated out of his job. The threat came as a result of the newspaper's decision to publish a photograph of the man named as the new North Belfast brigadier of the UDA.
Just hours before Cemetery Sunday devotions at Carnmoney on Sunday 14 September, Glengormley priest Father Dan White was warned his life was under threat from the Loyalist Action Force, a cover name used by the UDA. During proceedings, loyalist protesters blew horns and whistles outside the gates in an attempt to disrupt the blessing of the graves ceremony.
On Sunday 14 September, a number of Catholic graves were desecrated at St Patrick's Church cemetery, Ballyargan, in Scarva, County Down, the latest sectarian attack at a graveyard. Eight graves had headstones broken and flowers and wreaths were strewn about the grounds.
On Sunday also, loyalists attacked Catholics homes in the Deerpark Road area of North Belfast for the third week running.
British Army bomb disposal experts made safe two devices found at Catholic schools in Limavady and Dungiven on Monday 15 September. Unionist paramilitaries had left the devices at St Patrick's High School, Dungiven, and St Mary's High School in Limavady, just ten miles away. Both devices were found to contain explosives but no detonators.

ATTACK OUTSIDE SCHOOL

CATHOLIC LUCKY TO ESCAPE DEATH

DEERPARK HOMES ATTACKED AGAIN

Urgent Appeal