Belfast defies sectarian terror

THOUSANDS of people yesterday stood in silent defiance of the paramilitary gunmen as Belfast united in a bid to end the killing spree.

As the city’s lord mayor Alec Maskey launched a anti-sectarian rally to call for a hush to remember all those murdered by the terrorists.

Then he told the terrorists: “Homes are being wrecked and people are being killed. Stop now.”

Backed by trade unions, church leaders and nearly all the political parties, Mr Maskey, Belfast’s first Sinn Féin lord mayor, had called the huge demonstration after Catholic teenager Gerard Lawlor was gunned down by the Ulster Freedom Fighters two weeks ago.

Gripped by a sense of revulsion at the ongoing murder campaign, several thousand heeded his call and took to the street outside City Hall.

They heard Bob Gourley, the Irish Congress of Trade Unions Northern Ireland Committee chairman spell out a startling message.

He said: “The evil purveyors of bigotry have declared war on us all and wished to ensure that the legacy of hatred continued.”

Only the hardline Democratic Unionists boycotted yesterday’s rally, accusing Mr Maskey of hypocrisy because of allegations the Provisional IRA is still active.

But the Sinn Féin Lord Mayor shrugged off their attack and insisted the mass gathering could make a difference. He told the crowd: “Please consider this rally today as the formal public launch of our anti-sectarian campaign.”

The public show of opposition had been intensified after construction worker David Caldwell was killed in a suspected Real IRA bomb attack on a Derry territorial army camp yesterday.

The four main churches were represented at the rally. The Reverend Alan Harper, the Church of Ireland Bishop of Connor, spoke on behalf of all the church leaders present.

He said: “We represent our four churches. We stand together to challenge hatred, bigotry and sectarianism.

“We stand for respect for diversity, respect for freedom of conscience, the right to live free of fear and threat.

“We will work together for harmony in our community, peace on our streets and justice and fairness for all people and we do so in the name of the one God whom we all worship.”

A crowd of thousands was then led in prayer and psalms by Dr Patrick Walsh the Catholic Bishop of Down and Connor, Reverend David Kerr representing the Belfast Mission of the Methodist Church and Reverend Kerry McMullan of the Belfast Synod of the Presbyterian Church.

Despite the show of public solidarity, numbers were slightly down from the last anti-sectarianism rally staged in the city in January after Catholic postman, Daniel McColgan was murdered.

Senior Ulster Unionist, Michael McGimpsey insisted there was still encouraging numbers present given it was summer.

Mr McGimpsey, the Culture Minister in the Stormont power-sharing executive, argued that the demonstrations could have an impact.

He said: “They set a mood within society and it’s vital we keep reiterating this message that we wont tolerate this violence. This generation must not repeat the mistakes of my generations.”