Loyalisy violence escalates
P O'Neill | 23.03.2005 15:24 | Analysis | Social Struggles | London | World
We wonder why the English media didn't make the fuss over the murder of Pat Finucane, that they currentlty are over that of Robert McCartney.
>>>>>> Loyalist violence escalates
A 12 year old girl from North Belfast was the victim of a vicious
sectarian attack on Sunday.
At 5pm yesterday, as she and her mother were walking in the
Whitewell Road area, a gang of teenagers jumped her and kicked
Megan Brown in the face while shouting sectarian abuse.
Megan said: "I was walking home from the Abbey Centre with my
mummy, I was a little bit in front of her.
"There was a crowd of about five wee boys and three wee girls, I
didn't pay any attention until one of the girls jumped on my back
and pulled me down.
"When I was down the others all came round and they were kicking
me in the face and stamping on my back, they were shouting at me
'don't you dare walk down this road, you Fenian B'.
"I was terrified because they would not stop. My whole face and
back is very sore today and I do not want to have to leave the
house."
Megan, a pupil at the Little Flower School in Belfast, was taken
to the Royal Victoria Hospital where she was treated for six
hours for facial and back injuries including bruising and
swelling.
Her mother Anne-Marie Brown today spoke of her anger following
the attack.
"Because Megan was walking a few yards in front of her brothers
and sisters and me they thought she was on her own.
"It was definitely a sectarian attack because of what they
shouted and afterwards they ran off into the White City."
There have been fears that tensions at the sectarian interface
could again reignite this summer over the Protestant marching
season. The Brown family is already considering a move away from
the area.
Sinn Fein Councillor Carol Cullen described the sectarian attack
on a young girl in North Belfast as 'outrageous' and 'deeply
worrying'.
* The unionist paramilitary UDA has denied it was involved in the
death of Ardoyne man Stephen Montgomery in Belfast last month. It
has been alleged that the group, under the cover of the 'Red Hand
Defenders', were involved in the hit-and-run, which the victim's
family believes was murder. The UDA also stated that the 'Red
Hand Defenders' no longer exists.
* The unionist paramilitary LVF has not commented on allegations
it was involved in the disappearance of Bangor woman Lisa Dorrian
last month. Walls have been daubed in the village of
Ballyhalbert, where Ms Dorrian was last seen, suggesting the
involvement of a local LVF drugs gang in her disappearance.
* A petrol bomb was thrown into the loyalist Newtownards area of
east elfast and six cars were set alight on Sunday. The
disturbances follow trouble in the area on Friday night which
erupted during a search of a house under licensing laws. A
gambling machine and alcohol were seized during the raid.
A 12 year old girl from North Belfast was the victim of a vicious
sectarian attack on Sunday.
At 5pm yesterday, as she and her mother were walking in the
Whitewell Road area, a gang of teenagers jumped her and kicked
Megan Brown in the face while shouting sectarian abuse.
Megan said: "I was walking home from the Abbey Centre with my
mummy, I was a little bit in front of her.
"There was a crowd of about five wee boys and three wee girls, I
didn't pay any attention until one of the girls jumped on my back
and pulled me down.
"When I was down the others all came round and they were kicking
me in the face and stamping on my back, they were shouting at me
'don't you dare walk down this road, you Fenian B'.
"I was terrified because they would not stop. My whole face and
back is very sore today and I do not want to have to leave the
house."
Megan, a pupil at the Little Flower School in Belfast, was taken
to the Royal Victoria Hospital where she was treated for six
hours for facial and back injuries including bruising and
swelling.
Her mother Anne-Marie Brown today spoke of her anger following
the attack.
"Because Megan was walking a few yards in front of her brothers
and sisters and me they thought she was on her own.
"It was definitely a sectarian attack because of what they
shouted and afterwards they ran off into the White City."
There have been fears that tensions at the sectarian interface
could again reignite this summer over the Protestant marching
season. The Brown family is already considering a move away from
the area.
Sinn Fein Councillor Carol Cullen described the sectarian attack
on a young girl in North Belfast as 'outrageous' and 'deeply
worrying'.
* The unionist paramilitary UDA has denied it was involved in the
death of Ardoyne man Stephen Montgomery in Belfast last month. It
has been alleged that the group, under the cover of the 'Red Hand
Defenders', were involved in the hit-and-run, which the victim's
family believes was murder. The UDA also stated that the 'Red
Hand Defenders' no longer exists.
* The unionist paramilitary LVF has not commented on allegations
it was involved in the disappearance of Bangor woman Lisa Dorrian
last month. Walls have been daubed in the village of
Ballyhalbert, where Ms Dorrian was last seen, suggesting the
involvement of a local LVF drugs gang in her disappearance.
* A petrol bomb was thrown into the loyalist Newtownards area of
east elfast and six cars were set alight on Sunday. The
disturbances follow trouble in the area on Friday night which
erupted during a search of a house under licensing laws. A
gambling machine and alcohol were seized during the raid.
P O'Neill
Comments
Hide the following 2 comments
I know what you're saying, but...
23.03.2005 17:52
But is the current campaign by the McCartney women not a positive thing in many ways? I wouldn't deny for a minute that the republicans have, historically had a need and a right to defend themselves and I'm not anti-IRA. But is it not the case that where armed conflict becomes an inescapable part of the lives of a community, a macho culture of male dominated violence often becomes the norm?
I'm no expert on the details of the McCartney case, but from where I'm standing (and I'm aware my view is partly 'informed' through the british corporate media), it looks like there's a bunch of women standing up and saying they're not prepared to accept a society where a bunch of men can make an on the spot decision to carry out an execution. That seems pretty progressive to me.
I'd be really interested to hear the views of people who understand the situation in the north of Ireland better than I do...
Interested
S'funny how the Republican media plays down its own racist incidents
30.03.2005 17:23
Racism and racist, fascist violence are not the sole domain of Protestant communities.
It's time all the community woke up and admitted that. Of course, people who speak out in Republican areas are normally butchered to death by Sinn Fein members, aren't they.
David Ervine
Homepage:
http://www.pup-ni.org.uk