SF derides loyalists on street violence claims

Loyalist claims that republicans are masterminding street disorder to boost their vote in next year’s Assembly elections are laughable, a senior Sinn Fein figure claimed tonight.

Sinn Fein Assembly chief whip Alex Maskey, who earlier this month became his party’s first Lord Mayor of Belfast, dismissed claims by the Ulster Political Research Group that republicans were bussing in members of the IRA into flashpoint areas.

The loyalist Ulster Political Research Group alleged members of the third battalion of the IRA were involved in different sectarian clashes around Belfast.

Their spokesman Frankie Gallagher said: ‘‘We believe the people who are carrying out the violence in north Belfast and east Belfast and to a degree in the Markets area in south Belfast are part of the third battalion of the IRA.

‘‘They are controlled and manoeuvred, bussed around by leading members of the Republican Movement, and mainly ex-prisoners of the Provisional IRA.’’

Mr Gallagher alleged the current series of street clashes was designed to drive a wedge between the loyalist and nationalist communities and between Catholics and the Police Service of Northern Ireland.

With moderate nationalist SDLP members on the Police Board, the UPRG alleged Sinn Fein was trying to use clashes with the police and its rival’s support for the PSNI as a means of persuading Catholic voters not to back Deputy First Minister Mark Durkan’s party.

However the allegations were rejected by Mr Maskey.

‘‘We have heard all this before,’’ the West Belfast MLA said.

‘‘With regards to the disturbances of recent weeks, there are some things we can be certain of: attacks are not being mounted by republicans on nationalists in Larne; republicans are not smashing up gravestones in Carnmoney Cemetery; republicans did not plant pipe bombs in Ballynahinch as occurred last night.

‘‘The one thing which is constant in all these areas and also east Belfast, south Belfast and north Belfast is the Ulster Defence Association and their involvement in orchestrating violence.

‘‘Just contrast what is going on in Short Strand (in east Belfast) with Derry, where Sinn Fein is the only party to have publicly come out and condemned attacks by nationalists on the loyalist Fountain Estate and have called for it to stop.

‘‘As for their claim that Sinn Fein is trying to drive a wedge between the PSNI and the Catholic community for next year’s Assembly elections that is laughable. I think the PSNI are doing a pretty good job in driving a wedge themselves.’’

Earlier today, it emerged an open letter in Derry, signed by Sinn Fein minister Martin McGuinness, national chairman Mitchell McLaughlin, Assembly member Mary Nelis and 10 city councillors, distanced republicans from clashes near the loyalist Fountain estate.

The letter said: ‘‘Sectarianism is the antithesis of everything that republicanism espouses and we reject attempts to portray those who participate in acts of sectarianism as representing any shade of republicanism.

‘‘The Sinn Fein leadership and all its elected representatives in Derry are calling on those responsible for recent sectarian attacks to desist from such actions. They are wrong, unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.’’

The statement was issued last night just hours before further violence erupted in Nailor’s Row during which police had to fire two shots to disperse an angry mob.

A delegation of Short Strand residents today travelled to Dublin to present officials from the Departments of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and Foreign Affairs Minister Brian Cowen in Dublin with a 16-page dossier of alleged attacks on their area.

Sinn Fein TD Martin Ferris, who joined them, later claimed people in the Short Strand were ‘‘living virtually under siege.

‘‘They have been subjected to nightly and daily attacks with petrol bombs, blast bombs, pipe bombs, paint bombs, stones and rocks, ball bearings as well as coming under gun attack.’’