New PSNI boss points to loyalists

national | miscellaneous | news report Thursday September 05, 2002 13:34 by Jim Bob

Facts sourced from Guardian

Hugh Orde, the new chief constable of the PSNI, has admitted that loyalists were behind the majority of the violence seen in Belfast.

The new PSNI chief has admitted that loyalists are to blame for the majority of the violence seen in Belfast over the past three months. Over the period, in the east of the city 29 loyalists have been arrested for violence, alongside nine nationalists. In the north of Belfast 29 nationalists and 27 loyalists have been arrested - this figure perhaps suggesting the police have been more willing to arrest rioting nationalists than loyalists. However the remarks by the police boss at least show the invalidity of claims by loyalist groups and politicians that catholics were to blame. Eighteen months ago no soldiers were on the streets of Belfast, but now they are required to help the PSNI handle the violence.

The loyalists are likely to be more incensed after Alex Maskey dared to try and represent both communities by installing a tricolour in his lord mayor's office. Ulster Unionists and Democratic Unionist Party types, like a stuck record, said it was a 'sad day' for Belfast. Could this just be the start of drawn out, bitter campaign by loyalists as they realise they are no longer ascendant but may have to concede - at the very least - an equal footing to their catholic neighbours?