howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
from the guardian, rather ironic that with the history of east timor the 6 counties is still more frightening.
Immigrant families from East Timor fled a Catholic area of Northern Ireland on Friday night when loyalist rioters tried to attack nationalist homes, a Sinn Fein councillor said today.
"Around 100 loyalists attacked police who prevented them attacking nationalist homes," said John O'Dowd, who is a member of the Northern Ireland Assembly.
The families from East Timor packed their bags and ran from their homes in Portadown, Co Armagh on Friday night, when the area was engulfed in violence, he said.
"They packed their bags, so distressed were they at the violence. Their neighbours tried to reassure them that they would be safe in their homes but they left," he told Reuters.
A significant number of families from East Timor have settled in the Northern Irish town, where they work in the food packing industry alongside many Poles and Portuguese.
For several hours, police were attacked by people armed with petrol bombs, bricks, bottles, fireworks and other missiles in the latest violence surrounding the high point of the loyalist marching season.
The police fired around 20 plastic bullets and arrested three people. They confirmed that loyalists provoked the violence when a planned peaceful protest was hijacked by a violent minority.
The Mayor of the local Craigavon council, Democratic Unionist Alan Carson, condemned the violence.
"This does not do anyone any good. People have a right to live peacefully and feel safe in their own homes. The violence we saw last night is something we assigned to the history books," he said.
In recent days, nearly 50 police have been wounded and dozens have been arrested during violence in both loyalist and republican areas surrounding the annual 12 July parades.
Guest 656- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,262
How sad all this is
I wish that these marches were banned once and for all, they do no good at all except incite violence
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
i think that stopping the marches would only make it worse, would give loyalist thugs more excuse to start trouble.
both sets of yobs have to be stamped on firmly before the investment dries up and tourists stop coming.