The Five Demands

Secondo attacco di matrice settaria a poche di distanza dal lancio di una molotov contro la casa di famiglia di un calciatore nordirlandese

Un proiettile nella cassetta delle lettere di un’abitazione proprietà di una donna a Rasharkin. La chiara matrice settaria la si evince facilmente dal messaggio che lo accompagnava: “Fuori! Feccia protestante”.
La ‘minaccia’ giunge a poche ore dal lancio di una molotov contro la casa di famiglia del calciatore nordirlandese Chris Baird, avvenuto nelle prime ore di domenica.
“Questo non è altro che un attacco settario malato su una donna innocente”, ha commentato John Finlay (DUP).
“Questo non è la nuova Irlanda del Nord alla quale aspiriamo. Dobbiamo lavorare per cacciare questo tipo di comportamenti settari e violenti fuori da Rasharkin. La tensione rimane alta questa mattina nel paese”.
Tuttavia Daithi McKay, rappresentante Sinn Fein nella circoscrizione North Antrim, ritiene che i leaders unionisti debbano fare di più per raffreddare gli animi nel paese.
“Entrambi gli attacchi che hanno avuto luogo durante il fine settimana sono da condannare allo stesso modo”, ha detto.
“C’è bisogno di una leadership politica a dimostrazione che le loro parole non possono essere usate come copertura politica  per coloro che orchestrano questi attacchi”.
“Questioni in sospeso nella zona, come ad esempio la controversia sulle parate, devono essere risolte con urgenza per aiutare a creare un ambiente migliore all’interno del paese. Le divisioni stanno alimentando le tensioni esistenti”.
Da aprile ad oggi sono 18 gli attacchi settari portati a segno a Rasharkin.

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Bullet sent to Rasharkin woman (U TV)
A bullet was pushed through the letterbox of a woman in the Co Antrim village of Rasharkin, along with a note telling her to “get out”, hours after the home of the mother of Northern Ireland footballer Chris Baird was targeted by petrol-bombers.
The chilling message, which also branded the woman “Protestant scum”, was posted through her letterbox at about 9.30pm on Sunday night.
A brick was also thrown at the house at Belmont Park.
A police spokesman confirmed the incident, which targeted a disabled woman, was being investigated and treated as sectarian.
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DUP Ballymoney councillor John Finlay, who visited the woman, said she had been left “deeply shocked and intimidated” by what had happened.
“This is nothing more than a sick sectarian attack on an innocent woman,” he said.
“This is not the new Northern Ireland we aspire to. We must work to stamp this sort of sectarian and violent behaviour out of Rasharkin. Tensions remain high this morning in the village.”
Appealing for anyone with information to pass it to police, Mr Finlay added: “I call on the PSNI to step up patrols in the village and for Government to get involved in creating a more stable environment for all the people of the village.”
The threat came less than 24 hours after a petrol-bomb attack on the family home of Northern Ireland international and Fulham footballer Chris Baird a short distance away.
A passer-by spotted the flames and put the fire out in the early hours of Sunday morning.
The mother and sister of the Fulham footballer escaped unhurt.
Three weeks ago a brick was also hurled through their living room.
The family believe the attacks are sectarian.
DUP North Antrim MLA Mervyn Storey has condemned the latest attack on their home, saying that such incidents cannot be allowed to carry on in the area.
“This is no disrespect to Chris, or anyone else, their religion is irrelevant,” Mr Storey said.
“This attack, whoever carried it out is to be condemned. It is scandalous that we still have these ongoing attacks in the village of Rasharkin.”
However, Sinn Fein North Antrim MLA Daithí McKay believes Unionist leaders need to do more to cool tensions in the village.
“Both attacks which took place over the weekend are to be condemned equally”, he said.
“There needs to be political leadership shown across the board and politicians need to ensure that their words cannot be used as political cover by those carrying out these attacks.
“Outstanding issues in the area, such as the issue of controversial parades, need to be resolved as a matter of urgency to help create a better environment in the village. The divisiveness which such issues have created is feeding existing tensions.
The Ulster Unionist Party‘s Bill Kennedy said: “I believe it is time for community leaders and representatives to come together and resolve this issue and these tit-for-tat attacks before someone is seriously injured. Sectarianism has no place in society and it should be condemned.”
SDLP North Antrim MLA Declan O’Loan said the petrol bomb attack on the Baird home could have easily killed.
He added: “There are profound tensions in the village of Rasharkin currently. Parade incidents, repeated attacks on the Orange Hall and a number of graffiti incidents are evidence of this.
“It is vital that any information available is given to the police and that responsible community leaders work to resolve the causes of these tensions.”
North Antrim Alliance representative Jayne Dunlop said: “Senseless attacks like this harm the whole community and they create fear. Northern Ireland is moving forward and people want peace, not fear.”
Violence escalated as a result of disputes in the area over loyal order parades, with 18 sectarian attacks in the village since April.
The Orange hall and the GAA club have both been targeted many times.
In a statement Chief Inspector John Magill has described the latest sectarian attacks as appalling, adding that local police will continue to do their part to prevent attacks of this nature through visible patrolling.
But Mr Magill said policing alone will not resolve the underlying issues, adding that any lasting solution must come from the community itself.