26 March 1998 Edition
UDA leads North Belfast attacks
By Mick Naughton.
Last Monday's appearance in a Belfast court of six loyalists involved in an attempt to invade and burn down Catholic homes on the Limestone Road in North Belfast was the latest in a series of attacks in the flashpoint area.
Five of the six, charged with riotous behaviour, were released on bail but 23 year old Darren Johnston from the Limestone Road was remanded in custody after it was said he had played a leading role in a repeat of attacks on nationalist homes beside Newington Street.
And despite the claims of leading UDP member Tommy English that the loyalist mobs were intent in attacking the RUC, the 50 strong crowd was trying to make its way towards nationalist homes when confronted by an RUC patrol. Three plastic bullets were fired during the rioting.
An elderly couple had a lucky escape when a petrol bomb set fire to the roof of their home.
The scene where Saturday nights loyalist mob gathered has witnessed hundreds of sectarian attacks by loyalists from Tigers Bay which adjoins the nationalist Newington area.
Sinn Fein councillor Bobby Lavery, who has worked over the years with community leaders to defuse the regular loyalist attacks, declared himself disgusted after yet another attempt to burn nationalist homes to the ground.
``It was exactly the same around this time last year with the `tour of the north' Orange Parade in June. Communities are living in dread of what's coming up,'' Lavery said.
Earlier a demonstration calling for an end to heavy RUC patrolling in the Tigers Bay area, organised by the UDP, was held.
Added Lavery, ``rather than take their frustrations out on the RUC at York Road only yards from the site of the protests, loyalists gathered a quarter of a mile away beside the nationalist Newington area and the RUC only came out after local nationalists had repelled the attackers''.
Last Monday's appearance in a Belfast court of six loyalists involved in an attempt to invade and burn down Catholic homes on the Limestone Road in North Belfast was the latest in a series of attacks in the flashpoint area.
Five of the six, charged with riotous behaviour, were released on bail but 23 year old Darren Johnston from the Limestone Road was remanded in custody after it was said he had played a leading role in a repeat of attacks on nationalist homes beside Newington Street.
And despite the claims of leading UDP member Tommy English that the loyalist mobs were intent in attacking the RUC, the 50 strong crowd was trying to make its way towards nationalist homes when confronted by an RUC patrol. Three plastic bullets were fired during the rioting.
An elderly couple had a lucky escape when a petrol bomb set fire to the roof of their home.
The scene where Saturday nights loyalist mob gathered has witnessed hundreds of sectarian attacks by loyalists from Tigers Bay which adjoins the nationalist Newington area.
Sinn Fein councillor Bobby Lavery, who has worked over the years with community leaders to defuse the regular loyalist attacks, declared himself disgusted after yet another attempt to burn nationalist homes to the ground.
``It was exactly the same around this time last year with the `tour of the north' Orange Parade in June. Communities are living in dread of what's coming up,'' Lavery said.
Earlier a demonstration calling for an end to heavy RUC patrolling in the Tigers Bay area, organised by the UDP, was held.
Added Lavery, ``rather than take their frustrations out on the RUC at York Road only yards from the site of the protests, loyalists gathered a quarter of a mile away beside the nationalist Newington area and the RUC only came out after local nationalists had repelled the attackers''.