Lundy’s Day passes off peacefully

The UVF attacked the nationalist Ardoyne shops in north Belfast ahead of a highly controversial loyalist march at the weekend.

The petrol bomb was thrown through a shop-front from a passing vehicle to shouts of ‘Up the UVF’. It exploded and caused a fire, which was extinguished by the shop’s sprinkler system.

Saturday’s early morning march was a ‘feeder’ parade to the larger Lundy’s Day event in Derry.

A small peaceful protest took place in opposition to the involvement in the march of the Shankill Star flute band. The band is dedicated to the memory of UVF killer Brian Robinson who in September 1989 murdered a Catholic man, Paddy McKenna, on the spot.

Mr McKenna’s family had appealed for nationalists to ‘boycott’ the parade.

Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly said he supported the wishes of the McKenna family.

“The decision to use this Brian Robinson tribute band is extremely insensitive,” he said.

“lt’s bad enough they want to parade through the area, let alone using a band that commemorates Brian Robinson,” he said.

On Friday night, a white-line picket was organised against the march by the Republican Network for Unity.

In Derry meanwhile, many businesses were forced to close along the route of the main parade, which commemorates the closing of the gates to start the 1689 Siege of Derry despite the advice of the ‘traitor’ Lundy.

The local police chief Stephen Martin described the annual sectarian parade as a “resounding success”.

Mr Martin said It was important for Derry economically that the parade should be peaceful. He said Derry had become a “beacon” for parades throughout the north.

“A lot of hard work has gone Into It by so many people and I think the city and those involved in the whole event today can be very proud of themselves,” he said.

* Sinn Fein has said four of its politicians received a telephone death threat from a caller traced to southern Spain at the weekend.

The menacing warning that Assembly member Paul Butler and three of his colleagues in Lisburn council would be shot imminently was apparently made from a phone box in Cadiz, near Gibraltar.

Police would not comment on Tuesday night’s incident - stating that it was not policy to give out details on individual security cases.

The loyalist threat was linked to the Sinn Fein selection convention for the Westminster election in Lisburn next week. All of those named were candidates.

Urgent Appeal