24 May 2001 Edition

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Sinn Féin RUC protest atacked

Sinn Féin protesters who attempted to stage a `Disband the RUC' protest at an RUC barracks in Carrickfergus but were attacked by loyalists are accusing the RUC of setting them up.

On Sunday 20 May as a group of protesters arrived at the RUC base in the predominantly loyalist town of Carrickfergus in County Antrim and were about to set up their picket an RUC patrol car approached them.

An RUC member questioned them about their picket then drove off but stopped where a number of men where hanging about. The men, some carrying baseball bats, then approached the Sinn Féin protesters and threatened them.

An Phoblacht has since been told that among this group was the local UDA commander from the area and some well known UDA/LVF figures from the Woodburn, Castlemara and Glenfield areas of Carrickfergus.

Before long, a loyalist mob of up to 100 had gathered and the Sinn Féin protesters went to their cars to leave the area but ended up being hemmed into a nearby garage by the RUC.

Although the Sinn Féin members managed to escape from the mob they were stopped a second time by the RUC on the outskirts of the town and P checked.

At this point the RUC panicked when car loads of loyalists chanting LVF slogans arrived.

``It's as if they knew we were coming,'' one of the republicans told An Phoblacht. ``We were lucky to get out of there but we will be back.''


Kids suffer sectarian taunts


Loyalist who left scores of Catholic schoolchildren in terror were described as ``thugs'', by Ardoyne Sinn Féin representative Margaret McClenaghan.

In an incident on Tuesday 22 May, as Catholic primary school children made their way home from the Holy Cross school on Ardoyne Road, two carloads of loyalist men hurled the sectarian abuse at them.

On Monday 21 May, loyalists painted graffiti at the top of Alliance Avenue. The next day, residents supported by McClenaghan painted out UFF and other offensive slogans. Later that afternoon, as a gang of loyalist youths made their way down Ardoyne Road to rewrite the graffiti, two carloads of men appeared.

It was these men who hurled the abuse at the children aged between five and eleven.


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