Sectarian attacks linked to unionist stalling
By Peadar Whelan
Loyalists who went on the rampage in the Parkside area of North
Belfast on Monday, 26 April are involved in a ``serious campaign of
intimidation against nationalists'', said Sinn Féin Assembly member
Gerry Kelly.
``In Monday's incursion into the small nationalist enclave off the
Limestone Road, up to 30 loyalists armed with sticks verbally and
physically attacked residents and threw bricks and petrol bombs at
houses,'' said Kelly.
On the previous Friday, loyalists came out of the Tiger's Bay area
and in a deliberately provocative manner milled about the enclave
before retreating. Residents are now worried that the incursions are
a prelude to a summer of sectarian violence against them.
In the last number of years, since Drumcree became a focus of
loyalist discontent, Parkside has been particularly hard hit, with
gangs of loyalists invading the area and targeting residents. Houses
have been petrol-bombed and on a number of occasions, the gangs have
tried to force their way into homes to get at the occupants.
``We must work overtime to ensure that vulnerable nationalist
communities can live in peace'', urged Kelly.
This is familiar territory for the Sinn Féin man as only last
Thursday he fronted a press conference in the Greencastle Community
Centre where he detailed the intense campaign of violence being waged
against the vulnerable Whitewell and Graymount areas by loyalists.
Between April last year and April this year, there has been in
Kelly's words, ``a concerted, planned, sectarian campaign of
intimidation by loyalist organisations against Catholics''.
Although the attacks are mostly claimed by the Red Hand Defenders and
Orange Volunteers, residents maintain that the mainstream loyalist
groups, but mostly the UDA, are operating under a flag of
convenience.
Over 100 attacks including gun and bomb attacks have occurred in the
areas while Graymount which had almost 90 Catholic families, has now
been reduced to an almost Catholic-free zone.
Most families were driven out, some having been faced with a series
of attacks on their homes. Another seven are about to move.
Often described as a ``patchwork quilt'', North Belfast's geography has
nationalist and loyalist areas built side by side but with loyalists
in most cases in the majority, people living in small nationalist
enclaves are particularly vulnerable.
``We live with fear all the time'', a resident told An Phoblacht, who
said the RUC have turned a blind eye to the situation in Whitewell
and Graymount. ``They have watched as loyalists gather at the top of
Graymount getting ready to launch attacks, yet when we gathered to
hold a peaceful white line picket we were batoned''.
``The reality for nationalist communities on the ground is a concerted
campaign of violence by loyalist death squads. This is the impact of
current unionist politics on nationalist streets,'' said Gerry Kelly.
![[An Phoblacht]](http://republican-news.org/graphics/title_gifs/aprn.gif)