Visit our website: HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------------------------- Or is it the other way around? Professor Pete Maher, two days ago: British troop rotation: Ulster - Bosnia - Kosovo - Macedonia - Ulster Drive them out of their first colony and the rest may well follow. Wednesday September 5, 8:18 PM Blast bomb injures policemen near north Belfast school BELFAST, Sept 5 (AFP) - A blast bomb attack on Wednesday injured four policemen in north Belfast forcing screaming pupils and parents to take cover on the third day of violent sectarian protests over Catholic schoolgirls walking to class through a Protestant area. The home-made explosive device was thrown at police protecting them from Protestant protestors hurling abuse on Glenbryn Parade near Holy Cross Primary School on the Protestant Ardoyne Road. Responsibility for the blast at 9:00 am (0800 GMT) was claimed in a phone call made by the Red Hand Defenders, a cover name which has been used by the loyalist paramilitary UDA and LVF, a Royal Ulster constabularyspokeswoman said. Residents from the neighbouring loyalist Glenbryn estate have been attempting to stop the children, aged between four and 11, using the road to get to school in protest against alleged attacks on their homes. Two officers were taken to hospital with shrapnel injuries after the blast and a further two sustained minor injuries, the spokeswoman added. This new twist followed another night of serious disturbances in the area with bursts of automatic gunfire, as well as attacks on police lines with petrol, blast and nail bombs. The RUC said that 45 officers and two soldiers had been injured in trouble since early Tuesday, which has seen some 250 petrol bombs and 15 blast bombs thrown and four cars set on fire and burned out. The current unrest comes at a delicate stage in Northern Ireland's troubled peace process, as the province's main parties decide whether to endorse police reforms proposed by the British government, a key issue in the peace process. The primarily Catholic republicans and nationalists want to unite Northern Ireland with the Irish Republic, while mostly Protestant loyalists and unionists back continued rule by Britain over the province. Representatives on all sides are involved in desperate attempts to agree a settlement to quell the trouble. Protestants are also under growing pressure to call off their protests. Billy Hutchinson, a member of the Progressive Unionist Party at the Stormont Assembly and who is involved in community efforts to ease tensions, admitted:"This is not the sort of thuggish behaviour we want. The people responsible should be ashamed of themselves." On day three of the protests, up to 100 children and parents were escorted by police to the school. At first, loyalist protesters, fewer in numbers, turned their backs on the children and began a slow hand-clapping. But as the pupils approached Glenbryn Parade, youths rushed forward to stone police and the blast bomb was thrown. Several of the terrified children began to cry and one woman fainted -- but they were quickly hurried along a security corridor towards the school and none of the children were injured. Later the first group of around 15 children were escorted back down the Ardoyne Road accompanied by parents and riot officers. The group went through the loyalist area without incident. Northern Ireland security minister Jane Kennedy was to meet political and community leaders in north Belfast later Wednesday as part of the behind the scenes dialogue in a bid to end the protests. Kennedy said the attempted blockade must end immediately. "I think it is important for those that are involved in the violence to understand that our priority must be those children, the safety of the children and the importance of creating an environment in which those children can go to school unmolested," she said. __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Get email alerts & NEW webcam video instant messaging with Yahoo! Messenger http://im.yahoo.com ------------------------------------------------- This Discussion List is the follow-up for the old stopnato @listbot.com that has been shut down ==^================================================================ EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?a84x2u.a9spWA Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This email was sent to: [email protected] T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail! http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register ==^================================================================
