Loyalists assault and threaten hospital staff
Workers at Belfast's Royal Victoria Hospital are angry and
concerned after a weekend incident when a gang of up to 14
loyalists entered the casualty department and attacked staff.
The incident which took place at about 7.20am on Saturday
morning, 21 July, when two loyalists were brought to the accident
and emergency department after a car crash.
Phoblacht has since been told that the crash occurred during a
fight between rival UVF and UDA gangs on the outskirts of North
Belfast when the rival gangs rammed each other's cars. It was
when the most seriously injured loyalist was brought to the Royal
and his associates arrived to act as bodyguards that the trouble
flared.
When the loyalists arrived they immediately became abusive
towards staff, shouting sectarian and foul insults at workers.
The loyalists then attacked members of the security staff on
duty. At least six were physically assaulted. One loyalist spat
in the face of one worker while members of the nursing staff were
also threatened.
During the incident, one of the loyalists warned staff, ``do you
know who you are dealing with?'' He then went on to threaten those
present with the LVF and said they would be dead ``within two
weeks''.
Despite the loyalists' use of the LVF name, it is more likely
given the information available that the gang belonged to the
UDA.
According to information An Phoblacht has received, the loyalists
were wearing bulletproof vests. When eventually the RUC arrived
at the scene, they initially warned the loyalists they were being
recorded by the hospital's security cameras.
Phoblacht has also been told that the RUC were reluctant to
confront the loyalists and seemed afraid of them. Indeed, the
RUC's main contribution was to threaten to arrest and charge a
member of staff who went to the aid of a workmate who was being
assaulted.
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