Unionist hardliner defends sectarian loyalist protest

An anti-agreement unionist councillor has defended the loyalist protestors who were widely condemned for mounting a noisy protest during a Catholic ceremony at a mixed cemetery in Belfast last month.

The protestors blared horns and whistles during the annual blessing of the graves ceremony at Carnmoney cemetery before starting a mini-riot on the street.

The PSNI later said that the protest was openly sectarian and involved several known members of the Red Hand Commando, a loyalist paramilitary group linked to the Ulster Volunteer Force.

Speaking about the incident today, Norman Boyd, a councillor from the little-known Northern Ireland Unionist Party, accused the Catholic Church of trying to take over the inter-denominational graveyard and of tramping on Protestant graves.

He also called for all future Cemetery Sunday services held at Carnmoney by the Catholic Church to be cancelled, saying it was a scandal that thousands of Catholics were allowed to attend the cemetery service.

Mr Boyd said cemeteries should be quiet areas and were inappropriate places for thousands of people to attend religious services.

His comments echo those of Ulster Unionist Party councillor Ivan Hunter, who recently accused Catholics of intimidating Protestants by using a loud hailer during the blessing of the graves ceremony.

Mr Hunter condemned the violent loyalist protest, but claimed Catholics were partly to blame for the sectarianism of the protestors because of their church’s support for segregated schools.