Part 1 > IRISH NEWS ROUND-UP > http://irlnet.com/rmlist > > Tuesday/Wednesday, 11/12 July, 2000 > > > 1. MURDER, MAYHEM AS ORANGEMEN CELEBRATE > > * Loyalists turn on each other > * RUC collusion in disturbances slammed > * Litany of violence continues > > 2. Sinn Fein report slams Policing Bill > 3. Keeping watch on the Garvaghy Road > 4. Residents protest Springfield Road march > 5. Taxi attacked by gunmen > 6. Bomb 'an attack on peace process' > 7. Sinn Fein secures Leitrim County Council chair > 8. Republican advance alarms Bruton > 9. Analysis: The struggle for a new police service goes on > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > >>>>>> MURDER, MAYHEM AS ORANGEMEN CELEBRATE > > > > Two men were killed overnight and two others seriously injured as > the Protestant 'marching season' reached its climax, with > bonfires, rioting and violent attacks marking 'the Glorious > Twelfth', the anniversary of a 1690 battle victory over Catholics > by Dutch King William of Orange. > > One man was beaten and then shot to death in Larne, apparently > the result of a loyalist feud. Another man was stabbed to death > by others in Coleraine in circumstances which are still unclear. > Two others were seriously injured in stabbings in a night of > loyalist rioting and random violence. > > The deaths of the two loyalists last night is being seen as a > possible sign that marginalised unionist hardliners, faced with a > peace process they cannot accept or understand, are turning on > themselves as well as their traditional Catholic victims. > > There was clear evidence of discord within the Protestant Orange > Order at the marches and rallies it held today across the North > to mark July 12, the anniversary of a 1690 battle victory over > Irish Catholics by the Dutch King William of Orange. > > Jim Rodgers, a high profile member of Belfast City Council, was > subjected to a tirade of criticism over a speech at Ormeau Park > when he called for a halt to ten days of violent protests and > attacks, whichn he said was embarrassing the Order. > > This year, Orangemen marched through the debris of ten days of > rioting and strife which paralysed life in the North. > > Last weeek, the Portadown district organised loyalist "street > protests", leading to widespread mayhem, destruction and a > ten-day pogrom against nationalist communites across the North. > > While there is uncertainty over what might happen over the next > few days, there is a growing feeling that Orangeism has suffered > a mortal, self-inflicted blow this week. > > By its embrace of the murder gangs of the loyalist paramilitary > UFF, the Orange Order has revealed its shameful sectarian core > for all to see. > > The dramatic appearance at Drumcree last weeek of a gang of UFF > paramilitaries and their West Belfast leader, Johnny Adair, > publicly demonstrated the close relationship between the Orange > Masters and loyalist paramilitarism. That relationship was > demonstrated in the road closures and general disorder > orchestrated by the UFF in co-operation with the Drumcree > Orangemen. > > Last night, masked UFF men staged primitive "shows of strength" > at Eleventh night bonfires in various locations, with black-clad > figures dancing around, firing off semi-automatic rifles. > > And today, the Orange Order's Grand Master, Robert Saulters, > firmly aligned himself with the Drumcree Orangeman and their > unstable leader, Harold Gracey. > > Addressing Orangemen at Killrea, County Armagh, Mr Saulters said: > "Let me reiterate my support for the brethren in Portadown and > their District Master Harold Gracey." > > Some nationalists have argued the Order Order should now be sued > by businesses for causing the loss of trade over the past week. > Others believe the Order's leaders could be prosecuted for > inciting violence. > > But the Order can no longer pass itself off as anything other > than a violent, sectarian organisation, fuelling attacks on > Catholics while being seen to take sides in a loyalist feud. > > In the weeks leading up to recent orgy of violence, tensions > within the loyalist paramilitary world saw gun attacks between > rival groups. To enhance its position, the UDA/UFF backed the > Orange Order, and leading Orangemen happily accepted their > support. > > It is against this background that the present loyalist pogrom > should be seen. > > The wave of violence that has swept the North has left Catholics > homeless and many others terrified. And while leading members of > the UDA have been coordinating these attacks and their flags and > banners have been prominent everywhere, the fact remains that the > Orange Order is the guilty party. It cannot escape the blame for > its actions. > > Throughout today, nationalists across the Six Counties have been > phoning the main television networks, UTV and the BBC, to > complain about their coverage of 'the Twelfth'. > > The BBC has had most calls. Nationalists who have been subjected > to a ten day pogrom, since Harold Gracey called for protest, > expressed disgust that the BBC continues to claim that the Orange > Order is a benign organisation. > > The constant attacks on nationalist homes and property and the > threat to their lives was brushed under the carpet as the BBC PR > machine cranked into gear today, with sycophantic coverage of 'a > great day out for all'. > > But the parades followed and ten days of attacks against > Catholics and a night during which two men were murdered, two > more stabbed and dozens injured in riots. > > In the mnost brutal incident, a man with links to the UVF was > shot dead at an "11th Night" bonfire in Larne, County Antrim, > last night in a shooting being blamed on the rival UFF. > > Andrew Cairns, 22, from Wellington Green in Larne, was attacked > by up to 12 men in front of hundreds of people, beaten, kicked > and shot in the back of the head. > > Another man, Robert McMullen, was stabbed to death in Coleraine, > County Derry. Two more were seriously injured when they were > stabbed at a bonfire in east Belfast. One was in a "very critical > condition" with chest wounds and the other suffered a serious > knife wound to the face. > > > RUC COLLUSION > > Some believe the violence worsened during the course of 'Drumcree > week' because of an unoffical RUC policy of permitting illegal > loyalist road-blockings. > > The Minister of Education, Mr Martin McGuinness of Sinn Fein, > said there was disgust among nationalists at the RUC's response > to the road-blockings, which paralysed the North on Monday and > Tuesday. The RUC was clearly standing back and was prepared to > "effectively consort with the protesters and collaborate with the > closure of roads", he said. > > Confusion over the law deepened after a senior RUC man claimed > loyalists have a right to block roads, contradicting RUC Chief > Ronnie Flanagan, who said such actions were illgal. > > Chief Superintendent Roy McCune said people had a "legitimate > right" to protest on roads for a limited period. When asked why > officers could not remove small groups of young children and > women who were keeping roads closed, McCune said the RUC was not > in a position to "manhandle" protesters. > > This was in stark contrast to the RUC's reaction to republican > demonstrators in previous years, said Mr McGuinness, who > predicted that the Drumcree protests would end as they had no > support. > > "It is very clear that very little support has manifested itself > on the street except for the hijackings, burnings and > intimidations that have taken place. I believe all of this is > futile, that it will peter our eventually." > > > LITANY OF VIOLENCE > > > But as darkness fell last night, road-blockings held by women and > children moved away and paramilitaries took over. > > Some of the worst of the Night of the Eleventh flared on the > Corcrain estate, Portadown, where a crowd burned effigies of an > RUC man and a "Fenian" and showered the security forces with > stones, blast bombs and petrol bombs. > > Yesterday, a bomb was thrown from a car into a pub in the > nationalist village of Dunloy, County Antrim and another was > discovered in the grounds of an Ancient Order of Hibernians' hall > in Rusharkin. Both failed to explode. > > A woman and her six-year-old child escaped injury when a brick > was hurled through their car window at Finaghy Road North in > Belfast. > > There were two attempts to burn down Catholic churches in County > Antrim -- St Mary's Church in Glenarm and the Catholic chapel in > Ballyclare. > > In a reprisal by nationalists, an Orange Hall at Aghalee was > attacked by petrol bombs at midnight. A number of people were in > the building at the time, three of whom were taken to hospital > suffering from smoke inhalation. > > Yesterday afternoon, shops and businesses in Belfast, Portadown, > Lurgan, Ballymoney, Kilrea, Coleraine, Downpatrick and Lisburn > were forced to close under the threat of more trouble by > loyalists. > > A Dungannon restaurant was badly damaged in a petrol bomb attack, > while a tyre depot in Armagh was hit by a similar attack. Six > lorries and a storage unit were damaged in a malicious fire > started in a Dungannon mushroom factory. > > Tyres were set alight at the rear of a filling station on the > Belfast Road in Ballynahinch, causing damage to a shed and garden > furniture. > > Four cars and the facade of a petrol station which doubled as a > car showroom suffered in a malicious fire on the Dublin Road in > Omagh. > > A number of cars, a van, a lorry, and even a milk float were > taken and set on fire in Derry, Craigavon, Dromore, Newtownabbey, > Antrim, Derriaghy and Bushmills. > > The Larne road at Ballynure was closed by a mob of 300 loyalists > who blocked it with a barricade and managed to spill 45 gallons > of oil across it. > > Just after midnight, security forces and the fire brigade were > petrol bombed during disturbances in Dromore, County Down. Petrol > bombs were also hurled at a Catholic church on the Doagh Road, > Ballyclare, causing scorch damage to a hall adjacent to the > chapel. One person was arrested following the attack, which > occurred at 1.40am. > > In Carrickfergus two houses had windows broken by stone throwers. > > In Belfast, a blast bomb was thrown at around 1am. No injuries > were reported, although minor damage was caused to a police > vehicle. > > The RUC reported seven shots fired at an RUC vehicle at the > junction of Templemore Avenue and Albertbridge Road in east > Belfast. No one was injured. > > Petrol bombs were thrown on the Ravenhill Road in the city, at > Drumcree and on the West Circular Road in Bangor. More were > thrown on Irish Street in Derry. > > Drumcree Hill, where Orangemen are gathered in protest at not > being allowed to march through the Garvaghy Road, has been > surprisingly quiet. There have been small numbers there for the > past two nights, although it is predicted that violence might > resume as Orangemen return from today's County Armagh rally at > Killylea. > > The RUC said that over the past ten days, seventy-seven homes, 55 > commercial premises and 358 vehicles have been damaged, and 88 > vehicles hijacked. > > But only 72 people have been charged -- an average of just over > seven per night. > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > >>>>>> Sinn Fein report slams Policing Bill > > BY MICHAEL PIERSE > > > > As the British Government's Policing Bill moves to Westminster's > House of Lords, Sinn Fein Mid-Ulster MP Martin McGuinness tomorrow > launches a 100-page analysis and comprehensive indictment of the > bill's failures to date, titled 'Policing: A New Beginning?'. > This is the bill that party president Gerry Adams has already > slammed as forewarning of a police service which would be wholly > unacceptable to the nationalist and republican community. > > These comments come as, on the Bill's third reading in the > British House of Commons, it was resolved to retain the name of > the 'Royal Ulster Constabulary' in the title of envisaged new > force. > > Sinn Fein criticisms of Peter Mandelson's deviation from the > Patten Commission's proposals stretch far beyond the hotly > debated name-change issue. The party points out that the bill > ignores and even subverts the most basic of Patten's > recommendations. > > Of the 175 Patten proposals, Sinn Fein says that the Policing > Bill proposes to implement just 11 in full. There is insufficient > information provided to judge whether another 75 of the > recommendations are to be implemented, while 89 of the Patten > proposals are blatantly subverted, the report states. > > "An even worse statistic reveals that of the 175 Patten > recommendations, 75 can be described as fundamental and of these > we find that 60 have been subverted by the Policing Bill," says > Martin McGuinness. > > He adds that the passing of the legislation to the Lords provides > "an appropriate point at which to take stock of various aspects > of the issue. These include the gap between the initial British > Government proposals and the Patten recommendations, the progress > to date in bridging that gap and the additional progress which is > evidently required. > > "The departure from Patten is particularly serious in key areas > such as the powers of the Police Board and the powers of the > Ombudsman; the oath; the powers and structure of local > accountability mechanisms; and the legacy of the RUC, including > its name, badge and symbols. These are all issues of great > concern amongst the broad nationalist and republican community. > > "Sinn Fein have been consistent in our call for an end to the use > of plastic bullets," he stresses. "An end to repressive > legislation and an unarmed policing service are basic > requirements for a just and lasting peace. The implementation of > the conclusions to a thorough ongoing review of the justice > system is something we also want to see." > > McGuinness says that Sinn Fein has made the British and Irish > governments fully aware of the details of its concerns, and the > party provided the British with more than 70 amendments, prepared > for the second reading of the Bill in early June. > > "The sheer volume of complaints from Sinn Fein, the Irish > Government, the SDLP, the Catholic Bishops and others with regard > to the initial legislation simply cannot be ignored," says > McGuinness. "The British Government has to move." > > "We have acknowledged that the Patten recommendations are a > threshold which could make a new beginning possible," says > McGuinness. "A new beginning is clearly indispensable". > > He refers to the warning note sounded by the Independent > Commission on Policing when they unveiled their proposals in > September 1999. Commission chair Chris Patten, said: "The > recommendations form a package which we firmly believe needs to > be implemented comprehensively. We counsel strongly against > cherry picking from the report or trying to implement some major > elements of it in isolation from others." > > "Amendments to the initial British government legislation in the > committee stage and third reading of the Bill have moved it back > some way in the direction of Patten," Martin McGuinness notes. > "This is welcome but it falls far short of what is required > across a wide range of issues, which the Patten Commission > recommendations addressed. > > In summary, McGuinness believes the proposals still fall far > short of creating the necessary conditions for a just and > accountable police service: "The British government still has a > substantial distance to go to bring their proposals in line with > the Patten threshold. These issues need to be dealt with in a new > implementation plan, due to be published in the autumn. More will > have to be dealt with in a whole series of codes and regulations. > These need to be published and subjected to the same public > scrutiny as the legislation itself. > > "The amount of detail involved in all of this is substantial and > will require a continuous process of examination, assessment and > review. Sinn Fein will continue to do that in the coming period. > Sinn Fein will continue to lobby, campaign and monitor the > developing situation. > > "But what is clear, given the British Government's handling of > this to date, is that if the objectives of the Good Friday > Agreement with regard to policing are to be achieved, and if the > British Government's commitments to fully implement Patten are to > be honoured, the concerned voices which moved the British > Government to the current position will need to maintain their > political cohesion and focus." > > McGuinness is also at pains to emphasise that policing is not > exclusively a Sinn Fein issue. "This is a core issue for > democrats, which is of direct importance to such critical matters > as equality, justice and peace. A new beginning to policing is > indispensable to a successful conflict resolution process." > > [Summary of report to follow] > > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > c. RM Distribution and others. Articles may be reprinted with credit. > > =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
