Alex Maskey on throwing stones and self-defence in Short Strand

» John Hedges

An Phoblacht Editor

‘I don’t want [attacks] to be inflicted on anybody, no matter what part of the city or the country that they come from – whether they’re from the Short Strand, Strand Walk or Pitt Park or anywhere else.’

PEOPLE living in the east Belfast nationalist neighbourhood of Short Strand have the right to defend their homes if they are under attack by unionist flag mobs and are not being protected by the PSNI, Sinn Féin MLA Alex Maskey reiterated on Tuesday after another attack on the area.

Alex was speaking on the BBC Radio Ulster show with Stephen Nolan (right) on Tuesday morning after his comments on Monday night’s UTV Live Tonight were misrepresented by critics on Twitter about ‘throwing stones’ if he lived in the Short Strand.

“What I was saying very clearly – and I make no apology about it – was that if my home was coming under attack [and the PSNI was not doing its job], I would defend my home.”

Alex pointed out that DUP Minister Edwin Poots had actually fired gun shots at people he said were going to attack his house but he had been praised for his action.

The Sinn Féin MLA reiterated his and his party’s view that what has been happening in Short Strand is “shameful” and he does not want anyone, from any community anywhere, to suffer attacks on their homes, including unionist neighbours.

“I don’t want that life to be inflicted on anybody, no matter what part of the city or the country that they come from – whether they’re from the Short Strand, Strand Walk or Pitt Park or anywhere else.

“I do not want to see one single attack on any home, or any police officer or any resident whatsoever from any community.

“I want to make it very clear: anyone from the Short Strand who would be considering attacking another person’s home wouldn’t be doing it in the name of the people of the Short Strand.”

The Sinn Féin Assembly member said there are people of goodwill in nationalist and unionist communities and he praised those who had been working to develop peaceful and productive community relations. Now, however, some elements of the UVF in east Belfast and “the BNP and every rag-tag and bob-tail racist and bigot” was keeping the violence going as part of a sectarian agenda.

“I understand the grievances of a lot of people in working-class unionism and that they have been abandoned by mainstream unionist parties for many, many years,” Alex Maskey said, “but attacking people like those in the Short Strand is not going to solve your grievances.”

BBC News said of Monday night:

"Police said they came under attack as they responded to reports of petrol bombs being thrown from Pitt Park towards St Matthew's [Catholic] Church.

"Jim Wilson, a Protestant community worker in the area, told the BBC that he believed loyalist youths had initiated attacks on Catholic homes. He said this had led nationalists to launch retaliatory attacks on Protestant homes."