Security forces allow loyalist attack on Short Strand

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday June 14, 2002 11:51 by Pat Finucane Centre - pfc pfc at iol dot ie 1 west End Park, Derry, BT489 JF (28)/(048) 71 26 88 46

Residents of the Short Strand, holding a peaceful rally against sectarian attacks yesterday evening, were attacked by a gang of up to 20 masked loyalists who had gotten through Army and PSNI/RUC lines.

A member of the PFC staff, currently in the Short Strand in east Belfast, has reported fresh loyalist attacks on the area, during which at least seven nationalists are reported to have been injured by plastic bullets fired by the British army. The trouble began at around 7.30pm.

The PFC representative was attending a rally called to highlight the ongoing situation in the Short Strand. Before the rally local sources had expressed serious concern about the positioning of British army units, in a non-residential area close to the southern edge of the Short Strand. They claimed that loyalists were being allowed to get to close to Catholic homes that were in danger of attack.

It has been reported that while the rally was in progress a group of up to twenty masked loyalists were allowed through the British army lines at the top of Castlereagh Street. They then attacked nationalist youths with ball bearings and bricks. As news of this attack quickly spread, a number of people left the rally and headed towards the interface, where they were confronted by the British army. As trouble developed, the British army opened fire with plastic bullets, hitting at least seven people on the nationalist side. Community and political leaders from the nationalist side soon arrived on the scene and succeeded in calming the situation down. As of 8.30pm the area had returned to the tense situation that is currently considered normality in the Short Strand. It is not yet known if anyone was seriously injured by the plastic bullets fired.

The PFC outrightly condemns this use of plastic bullets, and asks people to note that the Office of Police Ombudsman, who recently supported the use of plastic bullets, cannot even investigate those that were fired tonight by the British army. The British army's rules for the use of plastic bullets are still classified and there is no system for any independent investigation of their use. The PFC is also seriously concerned about the tactics of the security forces which appear to deliberately allow such inflammatory situations to develop by allowing loyalists to attack the Short Strand.

Later 2 blast bombs were thrown over the Madrid Street peace line. One resident, a pregnant woman, was injured.