SAOIRSE32

BBC

Three members of staff at a west Belfast restorative justice scheme have received death threats from dissident republicans.
Community Restorative Justice Ireland director (CRJI) Jim Auld said a local media outlet told them of the threat.
He said they were targeted because his staff co-operated with the police.
“Everybody in this community has been up in arms about the level of crime and criminal activity that is occurring within it,” he said.
“And yet these people who are saying that they are protectors of the people are threatening us,” he said.
He said that the police have been contacted in relation to the threat.
He said CRJI had been involved in 1,500 cases across Northern Ireland last year and called on those behind the threat to withdraw it.
“We have supported the victims of crime to deal with their issues in a variety of ways,” he said.
“All we want now is to get on with the work that staff and practitioners have been doing to great effect.”

Irish News
**Via Newshound
29/10/08

A bomb left outside the home of a Derry man targeted by the Real IRA last month partially exploded, writes Seamus McKinney.

The bomb was found outside the house of a 26-year-old man at Transallagh near the Co Donegal border village of St Johnston around 10pm on Monday.

The victim, who is originally from nearby Creggan in Derry, was shot by the Real IRA last month.

He was ambushed by up to four masked men as he pulled up at his home on the night of September 25.

He was shot in the neck but managed to drive off.

The gang abducted his girlfriend who had got out of the car to open the gates to his home. The couple’s pet dog was also shot in the attack and later died.

While no group has claimed responsibility for the latest attack, security sources believe it was also the work of the Real IRA.

The area around the house remained sealed off throughout Monday night while six families forced to spend the night away from home.

An Irish army technical officer from Athlone barracks arrived at the scene early yesterday and made the device safe.

The security alert was eventually lifted after gardai completed a search for a possible secondary device.

Gardai later revealed that the device consisted of a pipe bomb attached to a five-gallon drum of petrol. The pipe bomb exploded but failed to ignite the petrol.

St Johnston parish priest Mgr Dan Carr said parishioners were shocked by the attack.

“It is a very quiet, peaceful, country district and people go about their business and they would never have been exposed to this type of behaviour before,” he said.

“It’s obviously very disconcerting for them.

News Letter
30 October 2008

THERE will be no review of the Parades Commission decision to hold either the Royal Irish Regiment homecoming parade nor related protests, the body has confirmed.

The organisation has said there are “not sufficient grounds” for a review - and has called on anyone coming into Belfast on Sunday to “respect the city and its population”.

Speaking earlier, the body’s chairman Roger Poole said: “We have been asked to review our decisions, but in fact there are very narrow grounds upon which we can review decisions and in this instance the Commission did not deem that there were sufficient grounds for a review.

“We would ask that those who intend to come to the city on Sunday review their own positions and redouble their efforts to take tension out of this issue in advance of the parade.

“Belfast deserves a peaceful weekend and the citizens and traders in the city are entitled to a trouble free day. Anyone intent of causing or contributing to civil unrest should stay away.”

Mr Poole said that it was “not helpful” that various political and community leaders were continuing to call for either the homecoming parade or the legally notified protest, to be banned.

“Now is the time for an effort to be made to reduce rather than heighten tension around this parade and protest,” he continued.

“There is an onus on those political and community leaders in a position of influence to demonstrate leadership between now and Sunday through their words, their actions and their commitment to non violent actions.”

Belfast Telegraph
Thursday, 30 October 2008

The Prime Minister has appealed for calm on the streets of Belfast this Sunday when republicans will protest against a homecoming parade for troops returning from Afghanistan.

Gordon Brown appealed for a “peaceful Sunday” during Question Time in the House of Commons yesterday amid concerns of heightened tensions at the weekend.

DUP leader Peter Robinson has been ferocious in his criticism of republican plans to protest, claiming they have made it even more difficult to break the deadlock that means Stormont’s executive has not meet since June.

Sinn Fein has said it will stage a peaceful protest, but dissident republican groups are to hold separate demonstrations, while unionist politicians have urged the public to come out to support the Royal Irish troops.

During question time in the Commons yesterday the DUP leader told the Prime Minister Sinn Fein had heightened tension across Northern Ireland with its “preposterous” decision.

“Would you join with me in welcoming a decision by the Army to organise a homecoming parade in the city of Belfast?” he said.

“Would you recognise that the troops, who have performed so well and so bravely in Iraq and Afghanistan from Northern Ireland come from both sections of our community?

“It becomes all the more preposterous the decision taken by Sinn Fein to run a counter parade and protest which has heightened tensions in Northern Ireland as a whole.

“Would you join with me in urging people in Northern Ireland to ensure that we have a peaceful Sunday, that everyone has due respect for the role that has been played by our brave troops, particularly in Iraq and Afghanistan?

“Will you urge everyone to do nothing to drag us back to the bad old days?”

Mr Brown told MPs: “I want every Sunday to be a peaceful Sunday in Northern Ireland.

“I want us to work together to make sure that we can undertake the remaining stages of devolution that makes possible stability for the longer term.

“But I also agree with you that our troops, our Armed Forces, deserve the support of every community from which they come.

“Where there have been parades in different cities and towns in this country, not only have they been peaceful but large numbers of people have turned out because they want to give support to our troops and show that they have the confidence of the British people.”

But a spokesman for Sinn Fein said: “The British Ministry of Defence has organised and filed for this parade.

“Belfast is not like any other part of what he (Mr Brown) calls the United Kingdom. It is not as British as Finchley.”

The Sinn Fein spokesman said many people had suffered at the hands of British troops in Ireland.

“They are opposed to this coat-trailing exercise,” he said.

Earlier Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams said: “I very publicly want to acknowledge that the families of the soldiers involved are pleased to see their loved ones return from a dangerous situation. This is very understandable and acceptable.

“But the decision by the British Ministry of Defence to organise a military parade through Belfast city centre is totally unacceptable.”

A breakaway republican group opposed to Sinn Fein’s policies and its support for policing has said it will also stage a demonstration on Sunday.

A spokesman for the group Eirigi — Irish for “rise up” —called for supporters to turn out in large numbers to oppose the parade.