9 March 2000 Edition
Second loyalist knife attack in six months
An attempted loyalist knife attack took place in a nationalist area of East Belfast early on Friday 3 March.
The incident took place on the Mountpottinger Road and involved two men, one wearing a Rangers hat and carrying a bottle of vodka. When approached by an apprehensive local, one of the loyalists reached down and pulled out a large knife. Fearing for his safety, the local man backed off and the two loyalist walked backwards down Mountpottinger Road towards the town, shouting obscenities at locals. A similar incident took place in the same area in November last when community activist Michael O'Hara was attacked and seriously injured by two loyalists wielding a machete-type knife and was hacked in the arms, back, stomach and head. At the time, there was speculation that the LVF may have been involved in the attack.
The incident took place on the Mountpottinger Road and involved two men, one wearing a Rangers hat and carrying a bottle of vodka. When approached by an apprehensive local, one of the loyalists reached down and pulled out a large knife. Fearing for his safety, the local man backed off and the two loyalist walked backwards down Mountpottinger Road towards the town, shouting obscenities at locals. A similar incident took place in the same area in November last when community activist Michael O'Hara was attacked and seriously injured by two loyalists wielding a machete-type knife and was hacked in the arms, back, stomach and head. At the time, there was speculation that the LVF may have been involved in the attack.
