2 October 2003 Edition

Resize: A A A Print

Teens beaten

Two teenage boys, aged 13 and 14, were attacked by loyalists in Durham Street in the Lower Falls area of Belfast at around 10 pm on Saturday 27 September.

A blue Corsa car carrying three loyalists sped into Durham Street, where the occupants jumped out and attacked a young boy outside a local shop before local residents chased them away.

One resident said she heard the gang shout "Up the UDA" before the car drove on up Barrack Street, where the occupants again jumped out and began to beat another teenager with a baseball bat.

In the loyalist Sandy Row area, unionist paramilitaries attacked four cleaning workers who were removing sectarian graffiti from an appartment block.

Shortly after the workers arrived at Whitehall Square at midday on Friday 26 September, their van was attacked by four men wielding baseball bats. They set the van on fire after smashing the windscreen.

This is third time the apartment block has been targeted. Sectarian slogans warning Catholics to leave the area were daubed on the outside walls and less than a week later, paint bombs were thrown at the building.

The block is being targeted by unionist paramilitaries because a number of the apartments are owned by property developers in the 26 Counties.

In Larne, loyalists smashed the windows of a car parked outside St Comgall's Club in Victoria Road. The attack happened around 10pm on Saturday night 27 September.


An Phoblacht
44 Parnell Sq.
Dublin 1
Ireland