Paisley: Attacks on Catholics must stop

Sectarian attacks on Catholic homes in the north Antrim area must stop and those responsible for the violence must be brought to justice, the Rev Ian Paisley said today.

Following weeks of sporadic petrol and paint bomb attacks on homes in Ballymena and nearby towns, the Democratic Unionist Party leader insisted convicting the culprits was the only solution.

Nationalist politicians have claimed the DUP had avoided condemning the intimidation, but Mr Paisley rejected the allegations outright.

“There is no excuse for it. It has to stop and I have made that clear in the recent attacks on church property, Roman Catholic church property in Ballymena.

“The sad thing about it is that those who are so loud in shouting today never make any remarks when Free Presbyterian churches are attacked.”

Homes in the Harryville estate in Ballymena, the local Catholic church and a nearby school have all borne the brunt of sectarian attacks in the last few weeks.

Families in Ahoghill and Rasharkin were also living in fear for their lives after petrol and paint bomb attacks. Police in the are even took the unprecedented step of issuing Catholic families with fire blankets to protect them against arson.

Mr Paisley said he had met Catholics in Ballymena to discuss the sustained attacks. He also said he had visited staff at St Louis’ school in the town which was badly burnt in a petrol bomb attack.

“We have to insist that both communities reveal to the police what they know and the sooner people are charged and found guilty and imprisoned if needs be, that will stop it, nothing else will stop it,” he said.

“I have no reservations in condemning any attack because that is not the way you fight your democratic programme. In fact you have lost the argument when you take to strife, that’s not democracy - that’s anarchy.

“It can’t be tolerated, it must be put down and it must be put down by a very heavy and determined foot.”

Mr Paisley said he was happy to meet the Catholic Archbishop Dr Sean Brady to discuss the attacks.

With speculation mounting that the IRA will decommission this month, Mr Paisley reiterated his demands that the process is undertaken in an open manner.

“There must be full decommissioning, it must be transparent but the IRA say no photographs,” he said.

“There must be the ending of criminality. And when I say the ending, the ending must be the people on the street can say it’s gone. Those are reasonable things to say. Words are not enough, it must be transparent.”

Earlier at least seven police officers were injured when they were attacked by mobs in west Belfast and Co Antrim today.

In both incidents officers used CS Spray to quell the trouble during which two people were arrested.

In West Belfast at least four officers were hurt in the nationalist Andersonstown area when they were attacked while investigating reports of a number of men armed with baseball bats being gathered in South Link.

A crowd of at least 40 people – men and women – leaving local licensed premises attacked the officers.

One officer was beaten to the ground and repeatedly punched and kicked. A PSNI spokesman said he was detained in hospital for treatment for a suspected broken wrist and multiple cuts and bruises.

One man was arrested.

In Cushendall on the Co Antrim coast three more PSNI officers were injured when they too were attacked by a crowd of 50 as local pubs closed in the early hours.

Officers were attempting to make an arrest in the village’s Bridge Street when the crowd attacked them.

One officer suffered multiple cuts and bruises to the head and body as well as a suspected broken nose, said the spokesman.

During the incident CS Spray was used to control the mob before officers withdrew from the area.

One man was arrested for assault and public order offences. Investigation to try to identify more of the trouble makers were continuing.