Members of Republican Sinn Féin were on the streets of north Belfast, alongside the nationalist community.MONDAY, JANUARY 7, 2002. The return to school for the children of Holy Cross is nothing new. As they walked up the Ardoyne Road there were groups of loyalists along the road. Some shouting went on as before, foul and sectarian, but this was just another day of the school walk.
We make no apology for standing shoulder to shoulder with the people who have faced a combined force of Brit occupation forces and loyalism.They have stood up against an onslaught of terrorism and have refused to let this terrorism beat them. They have suffered all kinds of injuries, from Crown Forces batons to plastic bullets. They have been petrol bombed, pipe and blast bombed and faced bullets from loyalist gunmen. Ask any member of Republican Sinn Féin what they think of those people of nationalist north Belfast and they’ll tell you that they are proud to be a part of the people, a brave people.
Unlike Provisional Brit Crown ministers who sit at the seat of Unionism at Stormont making excuses for the resistance of the nationalist people towards an Orange statelet and Brit occupation, to appease an occupying government, Republican Sinn Féin openly supports that resistance to this Six County statelet and the occupation, loyalism, sectarianism and hate that this unjust statelet nurtures.
The Minister of the Crown sitting in Stormont make apologies for this resistance. They tell the world on news reports they couldn’t control the situation, always sure not to use that word – resistance.
TUESDAY, JANUARY 8, 2002. Tuesday passed off as Monday with a repeat of the sectarianism seen so often before.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2002. Wednesday morning. 8.45am. As the children and parents of Holy Cross walked up the Ardoyne Road to school and passed by the Brit/RUC occupation forces they came face to face with groups of loyalist bigots at Glenbryn. Sectarian and foul catcalls were made against the children of Holy Cross and their parents.
As they picked the children up and began the walk back down the Ardoyne Road again a crowd of loyalists were now standing in their way. There was sectarian abuse being thrown and the loyalists began bumping into the parents and children as they walked past.
At one stage three men (big brave loyalists) set upon a mother and her two young children. The woman was beaten by the men as the children became very scared and upset.
With news of the attacks on the Holy Cross children and their parents, hundreds of nationalists made their way to the Ardoyne to make sure all the children were out of the school.
Fighting then took place, with the nationalists trying to make it to the school as it became clear that there were still children in the Holy Cross school cut off and unable to get home by the Ardoyne Road.
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Fighting was now taking place in the Alliance Road. A number of cars were damaged there. These cars were used by the UDA/UFF, UVF to bring loyalist paramilitaries into the area from the Shankill and other loyalist areas. These cars were put out of action and no doubt upsetting the movement of loyalist paramilitary groups within this area for a time.
As luck would have it, two cars belonging to Brit ministers at Stormont, David Trimble and his side kick Mark Durkan were also wrecked.
Members of these Brit ministers staff were visiting the area as loyalist hate-filled bigots attacked Holy Cross primary school. It should be noted that these people were not visiting the school but loyalist bigots in the area.
Around 3.00pm news came out that no children were now in the school. As the children were taken out the back of the school down the Crumlin Road.
3.10pm. A Brit armoured car and Land Rover drove up Alliance Ave and were stopped by nationalists who blocked the road.
Crowds got round the first armoured car and tried to force the doors open to get at the Brits inside. They were unable to do this so they cause came to it, forcing the armoured car to drive backwards down the Alliance at speed, leaving the second Land Rover to the mercy of the nationalist street fighters, who by now, after suffering occupation forces attacks on their people for over an hour on this one afternoon had very little mercy, if any, to show.
The Land Rover by now was surrounded, the Brits unable to move, with the street fighters trying to push it on its side. After trying to force their way into the Land Rover the Brits hit reverse, going back down Alliance Ave, hitting a number of parked cars on the way, writing one car off.
Fighting was now going on on a number of fronts. Loyalists who came out of Twaddle Ave attacked people at the Ardoyne shops. Nationalists went to the area and heavy fighting took place. It was now 3.45pm. Loyalists were pushed back as Brit/RUC occupation forces blocked the Crumlin Road at Twaddell Ave, Woodvale Road and Brompton Park.
As crowds faced each other here crowds of nationalists were still making their way to the area as word got round of what had happened at Holy Cross.
As some of the nationalist women went to block part of the road in peaceful protest a 17 year old nationalist youth was run down by an RUC Land Rover. The youth suffered a number of injuries when the RUC Land Rover mounted the kerb and hit him. Also 41-year-old Mrs Gemma Di Lucia, a mother of two, was knocked down by loyalists driving a car at speed and was dragged along the road for a distance. Mrs Di Lucia suffered a number of injuries to her arms, shoulder and chest. Both the youth and Mrs Di Lucia were very lucky to be alive.
Around 4.20pm. Loyalist mobs came out of Hesketh Road (This is a street which leads from Glenbryn to the Crumlin Road). At least ten men from the loyalist mob broke into a nationalist house on the Crumlin Road.
To cheers and sectarian catcalls from the mob the house was wrecked. It was just luck no-one was at home when the attack took place.
The mob then moved up the road to Mercy primary, another Catholic primary school in the same area as Holy Cross primary. There’s less than half a mile between both schools.
Nationalists, on witnessing what was happening, started off up the Crumlin Road. By now numbering around 300 or more, with hundreds more looking on, as the nationalist street fighters came face to face with the loyalist rioters heavy fighting took place.
The loyalist mob, now being pushed back into Hesketh again it was here that a loyalist gunman stepped out and opened fire with a shotgun.
Three nationalists were wounded at this stage, one suffering head, face and chest wounds, the others suffered wounds to the head and body.
All three were taken out of the area by car.
Fighting went on for a number of hours, very heavy, at the top of Brompton Park, Ardoyne shops and Twaddell Ave, dying down at about 6.00pm with a stand-off between nationalists on one side and Brit/RUC occupation forces and loyalists on the other side.
Around 6.30pm the RUC once again started driving Land Rovers into groups of nationalist men, women and children. Land Rovers once again mounted the footpaths.
One man who tried to get out of the way of an oncoming Land Rover moved onto the road and was hit by another Land Rover near to the front gates of Holy Cross chapel on the Crumlin Road. He suffered a number of injuries and was taken to hospital in a bad way.
7.00pm. Fighting once again broke out at the top of Brompton Park. Nationalist street fighters were now battling with Brit/RUC occupation forces and, behind these forces, loyalist rioters throwing petrol bombs, bricks and bottles towards Ardoyne from Twaddell Ave.
Nationalist street fighters at this stage replied with whatever they found at hand.
As the night drew in nationalist street fighters soon had a number of petrol bomb factories set up, making petrol bombs which were in much demand by the nationalist street fighters who were now using scores of this defence weapon . . . .
As the battle between the nationalist street fighters and the combined forces of occupation and loyalism went on fighting took place at very close quarters, against armoured RUC Land Rovers and Brit armoured cars.
The nationalist street fighters by now had forced the occupation forces out of the area and back to the Crumlin Road. Fighters had also taken to the roofs of the Ardoyne shops, attacking occupation forces and causing a number of injuries to the RUC who had to be pulled out of the danger zone.
A number of Land Rovers were hit by petrol bombs and were forced to pull back.
Hundreds of street fighters were now on the streets. A number of cars and vans were burning across the top of Brompton Park and across Crumlin Road.
A Republican Sinn Féin member was badly injured after being shot in the stomach by a plastic bullet fired by the RUC.
On January 9 the nationalist people of north Belfast in Ardoyne were under an unprecedented attack from Brit/RUC occupation forces. RSF members were on the streets of Ardoyne standing side by side and shoulder to shoulder with our people in defence of the nationalist people and community.
At around 11pm the hated loyalist paramilitary RUC forced their way into the top of Brompton Park and down Balhome Drive in armoured Land Rovers.
The defending nationalist street fighters stood their ground. One very brave action was carried out by a youth who, using a can of petrol, poured petrol over one RUC Land Rover which was set on fire by another youth with a petrol bomb.
Petrol bombs rained against the armoured Land Rovers which were moving at 60mph, mounting the footpaths as they tried to knock people down.
Three Land Rovers were now on fire. One hit a burning barricade, jamming itself at Brompton Park.
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It was at this stage that a member of north Belfast Republican Sinn Féin was shot in the stomach by an RUC plastic bullet. The bullet struck the RSF man inches below the heart. Knowing what these weapons can do, it doesn’t take much thought on it to know how close to death the RSF man had come.
The RSF man was taken out of the area and received first aid locally, but outside the danger zone.
The RUC were at the Mater Hospital on the Crumlin Road arresting injured nationalists. It is for this reason, the fear of arrest, that there can never be a true list of wounded or injured. The fact is, many, many people, men, women and children were injured in this combined Brit/RUC/loyalist assault against the nationalist community.
The fighting went on into the early hours of the morning, subsiding around 3.30am.
Thursday, January 10, 2002. Holy Cross School stayed closed because of the fear of attack on the primary school children.
Tension was at an all time high in north Belfast. People were very unsure of what the day may bring to the streets of north Belfast.
It wasn’t long before the loyalists would let the nationalist community know.
Just before 11am at Our Lady of Mercy school, which is about a mile away from Holy Cross primary in the loyalist Ballysillan, petrified school children were witness to two cars full of loyalists coming into their school grounds and wrecking up to 18 cars belonging to teachers as two gunmen, one with a rifle, the other with a hand gun, gave cover.
As news of the attack got to the parents of the children, of whom the writer of this report is one, we made our way to the school. Our only concern was for our children. We had been worried that Our Lady of Mercy School would be a target. The school has been a constant target for loyalists.
When we got to the school and witnessed the damage caused by the loyalists and then were told about the gunmen, our only thought was to get the children and to take them home. As the children came out to us they were very upset and just wanted to get home.
There was a terrible uncanny feeling. It was very much in our minds that we were in the middle of Ballysillan, a loyalist area, two miles from nationalist Ardoyne.
Only a short time before a number of loyalists were standing right where we now were, at least two of them armed. The thought that these gunmen could still be in the area was uppermost in many of the parents minds. The need was to make sure all the children were safe and to get them all out of the area. Many taxi drivers from nationalist areas helped to make sure of this.
The morning went on and tension stayed high.
About 2pm loyalists once again came out of Hesketh Road and made towards Mercy Primary School on the Crumlin Road where parents were picking up their children. A number of cars were surrounded by loyalists as the RUC stood by, no surprise there.
Once again nationalists took to the streets and headed for the Crumlin Road. By 2.30pm a few hundred nationalists were making their way up towards the school with many, many more still heading to the area.
The loyalists moved back to Hesketh Road.
The parents and children of Mercy school were then able to get down the road safe.
At this stage hundreds of loyalists came out of Twaddell Ave to attack people at Ardoyne shops.
Here a running battle took place with sticks, bricks, bottles, stones and anything else at hand.
As the nationalist street fighters got the better of the loyalist mobs the RUC moved in again, driving up footpaths to try and knock nationalists down. They then blocked off part of the Crumlin Road, facing the nationalists as loyalist mobs carried on their attack from behind the RUC lines.
As fighting subsided here loyalists now attacked nationalist homes at Ardoyne Road and Alliance Ave.
It was now 3.30pm and heavy fighting was going on between nationalist
street fighters and loyalist rioters. Nationalist fighters also attacked
RUC and Brit army lines.
When this happened, known Provisionals shouted at the nationalists
not to target the RUC or Brits, they were only to target the loyalists.
Needless to say, nationalists carried on their attack against the occupation
forces.
At one stage when it looked like the loyalists were going to overrun a number of nationalist homes in the Alliance Ave a nationalist gunman opened fire. At least three shots were heard.
The loyalists ended their attack and fighting subsided once more with
tension so high that it was only a matter of time before trouble would
break out again.
Fighting broke out once more on the Crumlin Road as loyalist mobs in
Twaddell once more carried out attacks at the Ardoyne shops. Nationalists
now replied to these attacks.
At 6.15pm nationalists hijacked a bus on the Old Park Road and drove it to the Crumlin Road. Another was taken at Brompton Park. The buses were to be used by nationalists to block the occupation forces from breaking into the top of nationalist Ardoyne. Before the buses could be put in place, Brit Crown Forces moved in and took them back.
By nightfall up to 500 nationalist street fighters were now at Brompton Park, Balhome Drive and Crumlin Road. A number of burning vans and cars were used to block the Crumlin Road at Brompton Park and Estoral Park.
Loyalists were out at Twaddell Ave once more and for a time tried to attack nationalists at the Ardoyne shops.
Petrol bomb factories were once again set up. The fighting was very heavy and at close hand. The RUC fired plastic bullets. They claim to have fired only eight but the number of nationalists injured by this weapon makes a lie of these claims.
Brit minister for securing the occupation of the Six Counties, Jane Kennedy found out for herself what the people of north Belfast feel about her forces of occupation when nationalist street fighters took to the roofs of the Ardoyne shops and ambushed the Land Rover she was in, setting it on fire, forcing the Brit ministers Land Rover to retreat.
As the battle went on nationalists now used acid bombs, blast bombs and a number of homemade hand grenades. A number of occupation forces were injured.
At one stage the true blue loyalists of Twaddell and Woodvale Road attacked Brit/RUC occupation forces, loyalism once again showing they aren’t as loyal to the Crown as they claim to be.
Around 8pm gunfire was heard in the area, around the top of Ardoyne, believed to be from Brompton Park.
Nationalist homes were now under attack at Whitewell. Loyalists threw a number of petrol bombs from the White City area over the so-called peace line. Damage was done to a number of homes.
Nationalists now took to the streets and fighting took place, running battles from street to street. The fighting went on to the early hours of Friday morning subsiding as occupation forces flooded the area.
Tension was high in the area.
At Ardoyne the fighting also went on into the early hours of Friday morning. When nationalist street fighters were no longer on the streets Brit/RUC occupation forces moved into the Ardoyne in force.
Out of 11 people lifted on Thursday night, only one was a loyalist.
Friday, January 11, 2002 .Friday morning. Most of the children
of Our Lady of Mercy were kept at home today as parents concerns for their
safety was high.
Holy Cross re-opened. At around 8.50am children and parents started
making their way to the school. Lines of Brit/RUC occupation forces armoured
cars lined the route as groups of loyalists looked on. Foul and sectarian
cat calls were heard.
This was repeated as the parents returned down the road. The same was the case as the parents went up to pick their children up on Friday afternoon but on the return back down the Ardoyne Road there was pushing and pulling by loyalists against the children and parents. Fr Troy was also a target for this.
On down the Crumlin at the Ardoyne shops, crowds of nationalists stood as crowds of loyalists stood at Woodvale Road and Twaddell Ave. Between, along the Crumlin Road stood Brit/RUC occupation forces.
The Provisionals took control of the nationalists, making sure that they didn’t lose this control, as they did on the two previous days and nights; days when Brit Stormont MLA Gerry Kelly stated that the Provisionals couldn’t control the situation.
In fact, not for the first time were the Provos unable to prevent the nationalist resistance to the Provisionals-adopted Orange statelet.
The Provos would do well to remember the words of Pearse: “Beware of the thing that is coming. Beware of the Risen People.”
The stand-off went on for some time before it ended around 4.30pm.
Around 5.30pm trouble broke out as loyalists attacked people near Ardoyne shops.
Nationalists managed to push the loyalists back down towards Twaddell Ave. This fighting, minor compared to that of previous days, subsided as Brit/RUC occupation forces once again flooded the Crumlin Road. Tension was high as crowds of nationalists and loyalists stood around the streets.
As nationalists left the area, making their way home or just going about their business, all seemed to be calm although tense.
Around 7pm loyalists in a car drove down the Crumlin Road. When they got to the nationalists homes facing the Holy Cross chapel the car stopped. A number of men got out and attacked the houses, breaking a number of windows before driving off again. One of the attackers used a hammer.
This took place within eye and ear shot of Brit Crown forces near the top of Brompton Park.
Later on in the night a petrol bomb was thrown at Holy Cross chapel. It fell short into trees and no damage was done.
Loyalists claimed that a number of windows were broken in Twaddell Ave. It was clear this happened early in the day when nationalists fought off loyalists who had been attacking people at the Ardoyne shops.
Friday was to come to a close with a very uneasy calm over north Belfast.
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The murder took place at 5am at the Rathcoole Post Office in Newtownabbey. Danny McColgan was a very easy target for the murder gang.
Republican Sinn Féin rubbish claims that the murder was done by the so-called Red Hand Defenders and point out that this is a cover name that has been used by all loyalist groups. RSF have no doubt the killing of young Danny McColgan was carried out by the UDA/UFF.
The general view of people in north Belfast was that someone was going to be killed. As one woman told SAOIRSE: “It’s a terrible thing to say but everyone knew someone was going to be killed by these loyalists. There was never any question of if it would happen just a question of when. People may think that’s a terrible way for anyone to think. Here in north Belfast it’s different. Everyone thinks as I do.
“It’s part of life here. The constant worry of death from loyalist murder gangs. It’s a sad way for things to be but that’s the way of life here for as long as I can remember.
“It was bad enough when I was growing up but now I have children of my own. It’s just worry, worry.”
The young mother didn’t wish to be named. Understandable in the situation she finds herself.
Once again, an uneasy calm fell over north Belfast.
People here walk down a street or sit in their homes, ever watchful. The car or that motorbike passing, or pulling up outside the door could be loyalists. Always better to be safe than sorry.
Saturday drew on with only minor trouble.
Sunday, January 13, 2002. An attempted abduction of a nationalist took place in Old Park Ave, near to Cliftonville Road. A number of nationalists were walking down Old Park Ave around 4am when a car pulled up. Fearing for their lives the nationalist men (four men) ran off.
The loyalists got hold of one of them and were beating him round the head with what seemed to be a car wheel brace and something else.
As they tried to pull the man to the car his friends returned and made towards the car. At this the men ran back to the car leaving their victim on the ground.
The man need to be treated in hospital for injuries to his head. This attack took place only yards from where another nationalist escaped an abduction attempt in the summer.
This was the third abduction attempt within a half mile area in north Belfast since the start of the New Year.
Sunday afternoon. Loyalists targeted a nationalist family as they drove up Duncairn Gardens.
The man whose car was targeted didn’t wish to be named through fear of loyalist reprisal. He said the device, a pipe bomb hit his car and was thrown from the Hollidays Road to his right as he drove towards the Antrim Road. It hit the car, falling off and exploded as it hit the road.
This attack was, as with many such attacks, played down.
Also on Sunday night three Catholic schools were attacked by loyalists.
St Patrick’s High was damaged in a loyalist fire-bomb attack. The school is on the Ballinderry Road, Lisburn.
Also attacked was St Bride’s Primary at Derryvolgie, south Belfast.
The school was fire-bombed and sectarian loyalist slogans were painted
on walls and cars.
St Anne’s in Dunmurry was also attacked. Three class rooms were destroyed
in this attack which took place on Sunday night.
It’s clear that loyalists are out to widen their sectarian attacks.
Brit occupation forces claimed to have found a number of weapons in the New Lodge area. The arms find was said to have been a machine gun, shot gun, home made bombs and a landmine.
The RUC also claimed the weapons belonged to the INLA. This claim was dismissed by Paul Little of the IRSP.
Monday, January 14, 2002. Loyalist threats to murder nationalist
teachers in north Belfast were very much in the minds of both the teachers
and children.
The threats from the UDA/UFF using the cover name RHD said they would
murder nationalist teachers and post office workers.
The post office workers went on strike in protest against the murder of Danny McColgan and the loyalist threats against them.
At schools, nationalist teachers all turned up for work. It was reported
by teachers that there was a high attendance at all Catholic schools in
north Belfast.
Turning up for school on this Monday morning was eerie for both parents
and children alike.
They would have to pass armed RUC and armoured Land Rovers in the school grounds.
This was the case at all Catholic schools in north Belfast.
Children, parents and teachers, under loyalist threat, forced to pass armed RUC and armoured cars to get to school.
The thought of many was that if this was anywhere else in the world it just wouldn’t be tolerated.
Although tension was high there were no reports of trouble.
Tuesday, January 15, 2002. Once again nationalist school teachers turned up to their classrooms with the loyalist threat still over them and likewise the children and parents turned up for school with the same threat from loyalists over them.
With the RUC at all Catholic school gates and armoured Land Rovers Tuesday was a repeat of Monday; the terrible eerie feeling and high tension noticed by parents and children alike.
12 noon. The funeral of Danny McColgan took place with hundreds following behind the coffin and lining the route. Hundreds of post office workers were in attendance.
9pm. Reports that armed UDA/UFF men read out a statement in a club in the Shankill area, ordering their cover-name the RHD to lift threats against nationalist teachers and postal workers, was treated by nationalists as some kind of sick joke.
Nationalists told SAOIRSE the general feeling here in north Belfast was that these murderers were adding insult to injury.
The dogs in the street know the RHD is nothing more than a cover name for the UDA/UFF. They also ordered their cover name to disband. Do they mean they’re going to disband themselves? Or do they just mean the old cover name is gone and we’ll soon know their new one after the next bombing, shooting or murder?
Do these murderers really believe that nationalists are such fools to fall for this stage-managed show? Does anyone really believe the UDA/UFF have all of a sudden started caring for the nationalist people? Have we forgotten Danny McColgan already?
The fact is the UDA/UFF were under pressure from within their own community. Because of their threats towards nationalists there was a postal strike. Benefit payments were upset. They needed to take the pressure off so we had this act. It wasn’t for the love of nationalists or Catholics. It was to save face.
Tension was very high in north Belfast over Tuesday.
At around 12am there was a bomb scare at York Gate shopping centre near to North Queen Street. It is believed to have been a hoax. The area close to York Gate shopping centre was closed for a time.There were no other reports of trouble as Tuesday came to an end.
Wednesday, January 16, 2002. UDA/UFF carried on with their fable claiming to be the RHD and stating that they would disband by 12am on Wednesday night. Again the UDA/UFF failed to fool anyone.
Wednesday afternoon. Belfast postal workers, after a meeting at the GPO, voted to return to work but stated that they did so under protest as they had no faith in the UDA/UFF statement. They also attacked the post office management for not standing up and giving the workers their full support.
One postal worker said she was scared to return to work and added: “It was the UDA who murdered Danny McColgan. I have no reason to believe anything the UDA say. I still believe my life is in danger. But I’ve no choice but to go back to work and to be truthful I am scared even at the thought of it.”
Thursday, January 17, 2002. No reports of trouble on Thursday but tension stayed high.
Friday, January 18, 2002. Most Catholic schools stayed
closed in north Belfast on Friday as teachers joined a march to City Hall.
The march, that was believed to be against loyalists threats on teachers
and postal workers, as well as other workers, was soon used to unjustly
attack Republican resistance to British occupation, injustice and terrorism.
It was also used to show support for the RUC, a force that only a few days
before had beaten nationalists with batons, shot them with plastic bullets
and ran them down with armoured Land Rovers.
Members of the Provisionals on news reports stated that they supported the march. It didn’t bother them that Brit/RUC terrorism and British State-sponsored violence was not even made an issue.
Once again the real cause of Ireland’s problems were brushed under the carpet.
The Provisionals were quite happy to be a part of this crime.
Saturday, January 19, 2002. It has become clear that a
body of a man found at the bottom of Cavehill was that of UDA man Stephen
McCullough.
The UDA man had been questioned about the murder of Danny McColgan
by the RUC but released. It is believed that only hours before his body
was found, he had gone to an RIR patrol and ended up in Mustgrave St RUC
station. The rest is unclear.
The general feeling is that McCullough could have been ready to spill the beans on the murder of Danny McColgan and no doubt the possible collusion of RUC members in the McColgan murder.
What is clear is the fact that McCullough was questioned about the murder of Danny McColgan and the last people to see McCullough were the RUC.
His body was found on Wednesday afternoon. The RUC claimed he had left Musgrave St station only a few hours before.
It was first reported that the UDA man had fallen from the cliff at Cavehill, off the Antrim Road in north Belfast.
About 10pm loyalists attacked nationalist homes in the Whitewell area.
A number of homes were damaged in the fighting that went on for a time. Nationalist street fighters and loyalist rioters attacked each other as both sides sized up to each other. Homes on both sides were damaged.
Contrary to reports, the trouble started after nationalist homes were attacked. The trouble subsided after some time and Brit/RUC occupation forces flooded the area.
Sunday, January 20, 2002. A petrol bomb factory was found in the loyalist White City close to the nationalist Whitewell.
Around 9pm loyalists once again carried out attacks against nationalist homes in the Whitewell area sparking off yet more trouble in the area which went on for some time.
Burning cars were used as barricades in a number of areas and houses
on both sides of the so-called peace line were damaged by stones and petrol
bombs.
Nationalists in the Bawnmore estate used petrol bombs and a number
of blast bombs against Brit/RUC occupation forces.
During the trouble it was reported that a fire crew was stoned, with claims this was done by stone throwers from Bawnmore Estate. If this is indeed the case Republican Sinn Féin understands only too well the frustration of nationalists with constant occupation forces and loyalist attacks on the nationalist community.
We support the right of nationalists to resist Brit and loyalist terrorism but we call on them not to become involved in stoning of fire crews. The Brits, unionist and their counter parts will try to use such stonings to take away the legitimate right of nationalist resistance to Brit and loyalist terrorism.
The trouble went on for some time at the Shore Road, Mill Road, Dandy
Road, Whitewell Road, Longlands and the Bawnmore Estate.
Subsiding after some time, tension stayed high as Brits/RUC occupation
forces flooded the area.
Monday, January 21, 2002. Although there were no reports of trouble on Monday, there was still many members of the Brit/RUC occupation forces on the street with Brit armoured cars and RUC Land Rovers sitting at interface areas.
Tuesday, January 22, 2002. Reports of a bomb hoax at a leading Provisional’s home in west Belfast.
Wednesday, January 23, 2002. Report of minor stone throwing at Whitewell coming from the loyalist White City.
Thursday, January 24, 2002. A postman from west Belfast was driving down the Ligoniel Road towards the Crumlin Road after finishing his post round when he had to stop at traffic lights at the part of the road known locally as the ‘turn of the road’. This was at 12 noon. As he sat in his car waiting for the light to change a loyalist gunman walked to the car and pointed a gun at the postman’s head. He fired but the gun didn’t work. The gunman then ran off.
This makes a lie of UDA/UFF claims that post workers would no longer be made targets. There’s no doubt that this nationalist postman is very lucky to be alive and should open the eyes of those who were foolish enough to believe the loyalist murder gangs.
Friday, January 25, 2002. More trouble at the Serpentine Road, Whitewell and White City after loyalist rioters attacked the nationalist Serpentine Road from the loyalist White City.
Fighting also broke out on the Whitewell Road as nationalists took to
the streets in defence of their area and community, subsiding after some
time.
The trouble went on into the small hours of Saturday morning.
Saturday, January 26, 2002. At around 4.30am in the small hours of Saturday morning on the nationalist Whitewell Road a lorry parked at the side of the road was set on fire.
As the Brit/RUC occupation forces went to the scene of the lorry fire a nationalist threw a blast bomb from just yards away.
The bomb went off and five members of the occupation forces were injured, two RUC and three Brits.
The bomber made good his escape.
After the attack more occupation forces flooded into the area, no doubt more fearful after this show of resistance to enforced Brit occupation.
Sunday, January 27, 2002. There were reports of only minor trouble in a number of interface areas. This was mostly stone throwing.
Monday, January 28, 2002. Loyalists made more threats against nationalist teachers in north and west Belfast. The threats were made by the UDA/UFF using another cover name.
Tuesday, January 29, 2002. No report of trouble.
Wednesday, January 30, 2002. A number of loyalists in the Glenbryn area of north Belfast, who were part of the unjust protest against the children of Holy Cross primary school and their parents, claimed the RUC informed them that they were under death threat from the INLA. This was later denied by the IRSP and then the INLA who blamed the claims on Brit dirty tricks.
Note: Throughout the unjust loyalist protest at Holy cross primary school, loyalists made a number of such claims which always turned out to be coming from closer to home; it was a ploy to take the heat off the loyalists themselves.
Thursday, January 31, 2002. No report of trouble.
Friday, February 1, 2002. Fifteen-year-old Joseph McLaughlin from the New Lodge was walking with friends on Friday night along the Cavehill Road around 10pm. When they got to the junction of Cavehill Road and loyalist Westland Road a car pulled up and the three friends saw up to three men jump out.
The men ran towards the three friends and as the friends tried to get away Joseph fell. The men then set upon him and he was badly beaten. So bad was the beating Joseph will have to go through reconstructive surgery to his face because of a number of breaks to his cheek bone. An operation to place pins and a plate is needed.
SAOIRSE has reported a number of these attacks on nationalists in the past number of weeks. There’s no doubt these attacks are carried out by loyalists and are clearly sectarian. SAOIRSE has also pointed out that these sectarian attacks are played down by papers and news outlets.
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Note. No-one was lifted in this RUC operation, unlike those carried out in nationalist areas where even being near to such a find could very well find you in prison.
On Saturday it was reported of an attack that had taken place in south Belfast on Friday, February 1, 2002 when loyalists (UDA/UFF) broke into the digs of two students in Fortuna Street off Donegall Road in the loyalist Village area.
The gang, six strong, used sledge-hammers to break through a door and then set upon the two Queens students who were beaten with clubs and the sledge-hammers, causing multiple injuries to the 20 and 21 year-old students. One suffered a fractured jaw and both suffered multiple cuts and bruising.
These attacks by loyalists against nationalist students in south Belfast have been ongoing for some time. This time their sectarianism and blind hate, seen not only an innocent Catholic student badly beaten, but also a Protestant student as well.
Both men are from outside Belfast – Armagh and Fermanagh. The president
of the Students Unions, John Mackell said he feared that a “sinister anti-students
movement” was developing. He said students have been warned to be vigilant.
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Web layout by SAOIRSE -- Irish Freedom February 11, 2002 Send links, events notifications, articles, comments etc, to the editor at: saoirse@iol.ie. |
