A litany of orchestrated sectarian intimidation - Sinn Féin launches loyalist attack dossier

Martin McGuinness holds a copy of the launched dossier

Sinn Féin has this week produced a dossier of attacks carried out by loyalists in the Six Counties in the last three months. The document makes for disturbing reading, particularly given the continual focus on the IRA as a supposed obstacle to the peace process. The extent and severity of the attacks will make surprising reading for many who doubt the severity of loyalist violence. To republicans however, the story is all too familiar.

The dossier lists sectarian attacks carried out by loyalists across the Six Counties, between 1 July and 6 October, as reported by this newspaper, UTV, the Newsletter and the Irish News. Although by no means comprehensive, due to the fact that so many attacks go unreported, it offers a chilling picture of orchestrated sectarian intimidation, particularly in areas where there is a vulnerable nationalist minority.

The dossier will be sent to both governments. The Dublin government has a duty to defend Irish citizens, while the British government has a responsibility to explain the role of its agents inside the loyalist paramilitaries responsible for the sectarian campaign.

The British government's suspension of the institutions and cancellation of the elections created a lengthy political vacuum, which unionist paramilitaries are trying fill with these sectarian attacks.

Despite the relative calm at interfaces over the last three months, loyalist violence has persisted, with more than 160 separate sectarian attacks on Catholics across the Six Counties. These attacks are in part the result of sectarian divisions, but the majority are being orchestrated by unionist paramilitary groups.

This has included 54 pipe and petrol bomb attacks; a number of shooting incidents; and 43 attacks on people, including a man stabbed eight times, a pregnant women beaten so severely that she lost her baby and several attempted abductions.

There have been scores of attacks on Catholic houses and property, with families forced to leave their homes. And in the last few weeks, we have seen an upsurge in attacks on Catholic schools and churches. On 18 September, five Catholic schools in Larne, North Belfast and West Belfast were forced to close due to UDA bomb hoaxes and on 15 September, devices were left at two Catholic schools in Dungiven and Limavady.

The fact that the UDA in particular is heavily infiltrated by Special Branch and Military Intelligence agents raises the question about who is setting the agenda for such attacks. In the past, much sectarian loyalist violence had been focused on the interface areas, but as a result of the work done in these areas over the past year, this avenue was largely closed to those wishing to orchestrate sectarian violence in the past number of months.

Sinn Féin is aware that over the past year, intensive contacts between the political leaderships of unionism and the leaders of the various unionist paramilitary groups have been ongoing.

"Unionist politicians should explain the insight this has given them into what is going on within these armed groups and tell us when this sustained campaign will end," sauys the party in its dossier. "Those involved are given succour when they hear unionist politicians defending sectarian threats and protests, such as those which occurred at Carnmoney Cemetery and in other blatantly sectarian incidents.

"All political parties and civic society need to speak out with one voice on this campaign. This dossier is merely the tip of the iceberg and does not include the nightly attacks and intimidation in parts of North Belfast, Lisburn, Larne and Coleraine or the many unreported acts of intimidation. There is an urgent need for the political process to be put back on track and for a cross-party initiative against sectarianism."

5 October

A 21-year-old man had his skull fractured in a sectarian attack near St James Church in Belfast.

A Catholic family were forced to leave their home in the Parkhall estate in Antrim after a number of masked and it is believed armed men attacked their house and attempted to force their way inside.

4 October

Petrol bomb attack on a house in Deerpark Road in North Belfast.

2 October

Catholic family in Coleraine were forced to leave their home when they came under fire from loyalists for the second time this week - gunshots were fired at their home.

30 September

Catholic family in Coleraine had a brick put through their window by loyalists for flying a Tyrone flag.

29 September

Attack on Our Lady of Mercy's school in North Belfast - six cars belonging to staff were destroyed and two badly damaged after loyalists entered the grounds carrying petrol cans, doused the cars, smashed the windscreens and set them on fire. This was the second attack on the school in 20 months.

27 September

Two teenage boys, aged 13 and 14, were attacked by loyalists in Durham Street in West Belfast. Loyalists smashed the windows of a car parked outside St Comgall's Club in Victoria Road.

26 September

A van belonging to workers removing sectarian graffiti from apartments in South Belfast was destroyed by loyalists. This was the third attack on this apartment block in four weeks.

24 September

Pipe bomb left at the gates of the Dominican College, a Catholic Grammer School, in North Belfast. The attack followed a sectarian arson attack on the school just over a year ago.

21 September

A Catholic family with two young children escaped serious injury after loyalists threw rocks through the back window of their car as they drove along Market Hill Road in Cookstown, County Tyrone.

Petrol bombs were thrown at two homes on the outskirts of Belfast.

20 September

A ten-day-old baby escaped injury after loyalists petrol bombed four Catholic homes on the Bawnmore estate on the northern outskirts of Belfast. Up to five devices were thrown in the sectarian attack, which happened when loyalists travelling in a red car stopped outside the nationalist homes.

A 20-year-old man and his father were viciously attacked by loyalists after a night of greyhound racing at Ballyskeagh dog track near Lisburn.

Loyalists smashed windows and the front door of a home in Stoneyford, near Lisburn, during the night. UVF slogans were sprayed on a wall.

18 September

UDA bomb hoaxes in Larne and North and West Belfast closed five Catholic schools.

15 September

Two devices were found at Catholic schools in Derry - St Patrick's High School, Dungiven and St Mary's High School in Limavady, just ten miles away.

14 September

A number of Catholic graves were desecrated at St Patrick's Church cemetery, Ballyargan, in Scarva, County Down, the latest sectarian attack at a graveyard. Eight graves had headstones broken and flowers and wreaths were strewn about the grounds.

Loyalists attacked Catholics homes in the Deerpark Road area of North Belfast for the third week running. Glengormley priest Father Dan White received a death threat from the Loyalist Action Force, a cover name used by the UDA. Loyalists blew horns and whistles outside the gates of Carnmoney Cemetary in an attempt to disrupt the blessing of the graves ceremony.

12 September

Loyalist paramilitaries bombed a pensioner's home in Larne, Co Antrim. Members of the PSNI visited the offices of the North Belfast News to warn a journalist with the paper that his life is under threat from unionist paramilitaries.

A car carrying three nationalists, one wearing a County Antrim GAA shirt, was attacked by around 20 to 30 loyalists, but they managed to escape unscathed.

Loyalists attacked cars at the West Circular and Ballygomartin Roads in Belfast. A young driver, targeted for wearing a Celtic top, was assaulted and robbed but narrowly escaped being abducted.

11 September

Bomb attack on a home in the Upper Cairncastle Road area of Larne, Co. Antrim.

In Derry, the UDA threatened to take action against what it described as 'known republicans' in the Waterside area. The warning was issued in a statement released by the Ulster Political Research Group.

10 September

Loyalists daubed sectarian graffiti on the front of St Mary's Catholic chapel in Glengormley. The slogan KAT (Kill all Taigs) was painted across the doors of the church on the Carnmoney Road.

9 September

Loyalists attack graves at Carnmoney Cemetery outside Belfast

8 September

Pipe bomb attack on a house in Magherafelt

7 September

A Catholic man was struck on the head with a hatchet by a gang of Shankill loyalists as he walked home along Carrick Hill.

6 September

Pipe bomb thrown at a house in Lisburn Car destroyed in an arson attack in Randalstown

3 September

Man attacked by loyalists on Deerpark Road - a brick is thrown in his face

2 September

Two Catholic families were forced to flee from their homes in North Belfast. Loyalists attacked the home of a Catholic mother who lives with her 15-year-old autistic daughter in North Belfast.

1 September

A loyalist pipe bomb attached to the gates of Holy Cross Girls' Primary School disrupted the first day of term. The attack took place against the backdrop of a sectarian campaign of intimidation by Glenbryn loyalists targeting Catholic homes in nearby Deerpark Road.

31 August

An Armagh family's car was attacked with stones by loyalists as they returned from watching their team win the All-Ireland football semi-final against Donegal in Dublin.

23 August

Three teenagers were attacked by a gang of seven unionist paramilitaries carrying baseball bats and golf clubs as they walked along Alliance Avenue in Belfast.

22nd August

A woman whose North Belfast home was the target of a series of sectarian attacks by loyalists said she could not take any more and was moving out.

21 August

Lagan Valley Sinn Féin Councillor Paul Butler's home was attacked by loyalists with fire bombs. Numerous threats, including one naming his partner, had been painted on walls in Dunmurry and outside the council office in Lisburn. Butler also received a live bullet through the post along with a death threat. It was revealed that in recent months, 12 Catholic families had been forced to put their homes up for sale in Stoneyford.

17 August

Loyalists pipe bombed a house in Queens Park area of Newtownabbey.

16 August

Buses with Celtic football supporters were attacked by loyalists as a loyalist band parade on the Ballyclare Road near Glengormley. Supporters escaped serious injury as bottles and bricks crashed through the windows of the bus.

15 August

LVF members issued death threats to people at a dole office in Downpatrick and intimidated people entering and leaving the building

12 August

Members of the PSNI stopped and assaulted 12-year-old Garvan Brown after he was asked a question and answered them in Irish. The assault happened as he walked through the Fernabbey estate in Derry with his older sister.

A dream home being built by a Catholic family in Desertmartin, County Derry was burnt down in an arson attack by loyalists, the sixth attack since construction began several years ago.

10 August

Twelve petrol bomb were thrown into the back gardens of nationalist homes in Cupar Street, just off the Springfield Road in West Belfast.

9 August

Up to ten devices were thrown across the 'peaceline' at houses in Cupar Street from the loyalist Mayo Link. A Poleglass man received a death threat from loyalists. Newtownabbey Sinn Féin councillor Briege Meehan received a death threat from unionist paramilitaries using the name the "Loyalist Action Force". A young nationalist in Glengormley was threatened by an armed man shortly after 9.30pm

7 August

The UDA in Derry issued a new threat of violence at a loyalist press conference in the Waterside.

6 August

Two Catholic schoolboys were attacked and robbed by a group of loyalists as they left York Street train station in North Belfast.

5 August

There was an arson attack on St Enda's GAA Club in Omagh. Almost three quarters of the roof of the new stand, which was under construction, was destroyed as well as around 200 seats.

4 August

A highly flammable bomb was thrown from a passing car at the house of Lisburn Councillor Paul Butler, which he shares with his partner and three children.

31 July

Loyalist gangs attacked Catholic homes in the Stiles estate in Antrim.

30 July

Homes in the Clandeboye area of the Short Strand came under fire from loyalist youths using ball bearings and golf balls. Loyalist paramilitaries erect Nazi insignia in Ballymena and distribute White National Party literature as part of their campaign against non-whites.

27 July

Members of South Antrim UDA smashed their way into a Rathcoole home and beat and kicked a 31-year-old Protestant mother so hard she lost her unborn baby. Mary Norris was attacked because she had Catholic friends.

A 17-year-old girl had a gun put to her head and her two male companions, aged 14 and 26, needed hospital treatment after they attacked by up to 15 members of the UDA in Dunmurry.

26 July

Extensive damage was caused to the altar of St John's Church, on the main Magherafelt to Castledawson Road in a sectarian arson attack in South Derry. The floor at the rear of the building, which dates from the time of the penal laws in Ireland, was also badly damaged.

24 July

Unionist paramilitaries abandoned three pipe bombs and a grenade in the Camlough/Bessbrook area of County Armagh. They said they were to be used to attack Sinn Féin representatives living in the area.

A number of families living in Leckagh Drive Estate in Magherafelt, County Derry, were evacuated from their homes due to a suspect bomb, later declared an elaborate hoax.

20 July

A 21-year-old Catholic was seriously injured after he was attacked by a gang of 20 loyalists wielding golf clubs, iron bars and poles painted red, white and blue as he played golf at Aberdelghy Golf club, outside Lisburn.

19 July

Loyalist youths have been attacking nationalist homes in Clandeboye Drive and Clandeboye Gardens with ball bearings, golf balls and other missiles daily. Car windscreens, sun roofs as well as houses have been hit by missiles fired from catapults over the interface wall from the loyalist Cluan Place.

17 July

Denise Crudden, a Catholic mother of three, said that after an Orange Order march, a gang of loyalists youths bombarded her home, in the mainly Protestant village of Magheraveely, with bottles, bricks and other rubble in a three-hour rampage.

16 July

Loyalists issued death threats against two Derry postmen. The two Catholic workers took special leave from their jobs at Derry sorting office after receiving UVF sympathy cards at their home addresses.

15 July

Loyalist supporters of the White Nationalist Party (WNP) have been erecting Nazi flags and distributing party leaflets in the loyalist town of Ballymena, County Antrim.

11 July

A number of Catholic residents from Ardoyne, who applied for a judicial review against the Parades Commission decision to allow an Orange parade through their area, received death threats from the Red Hand Defenders, a cover name used by the UDA.

10 July

Two malicious fires left children in the New Lodge/Duncairn area of North Belfast without a playground. Nearly 60 children were left without any play area over the summer holidays.

8 July

A PSNI officer attacked a young girl who had already been victimised during the Holy Cross dispute, leaving twelve-year-old Shauna Millen bruised and traumatised.

7 July

A four-year-old Co Antrim child and his parents escaped injury in an early morning petrol bomb attack by loyalists at a home in Willow Walk, Aghalee.

5 July

It was revealed in a Housing Executive report that almost 90 families had been intimidated from their homes in Antrim in the past year. The vast majority of the cases were of Catholics forced from their homes by unionist paramilitaries.

3 July

An American woman whose family business was destroyed and whose home was attacked by loyalists said she was considering returning to the United States. The UVF in the South Derry area admitted they were responsible for the sectarian attacks.

A Catholic man was knifed in the back up to eight times when loyalists attempted to abduct him outside Bushmills, Co Antrim.

2 July

A 28-year-old Catholic man was viciously assaulted in a sectarian attack carried out by a loyalist gang on the Cloyfin Road near Coleraine, County Derry.

1 July

A Catholic man was stabbed in the stomach by a loyalist bandsman only hours after a controversial Orange Order march took place on the nationalist Springfield Road in West Belfast.