The Five Demands

La PSNI lascerà valutare ai politici e all’IMC l’eventuale violazione della tregua da parte dell’Ulster Volunteer Force

Duncan McCausland, Ispettore Capo della PSNI, non va oltre all’affermare la presenza di uomini armati nell’area di Rathcoole interessata da violenze nel corso delle ultime 2 notti. In relazione alla presunta violazione del cessate il fuoco da parte dell’UVF, il portavoce della polizia ha sottolineato: “Riporteremo i fatti e consentiremo ai politici o l’IMC o a chi altro di dovere, di prendere questa decisione”.
“Ma durante la notte di lunedì è chiaro che ci sono state persone là fuori ad orchestrare i disordini girando armate di pistole e mascherate.”
Il ‘ceasefire’ dell’UVF risale a maggio 2oo7, quando con un comunicato espresse la rinuncia alla violenza impegnandosi in un processo di trasformazione da organizzazione militare a civile. Lo smatellamento degli arsenali si conculse 2 anni dopo.
La prima concreta avvisaglia della ripresa delle violenze si manifestò il 31 maggio 2010, con la barbara esecuzione di Bobby Moffett avvenuta in pieno giorno in Shankill Road. L’Independent Monitoring Commission non ritenne però sufficiente l’azione a spezzare la tregua del gruppo paramilitare lealista, scatenando la reazione dei familiari della vittima.
“Non importa se si tratta di gambizzare o di omicidio, nell’istante in cui una pistola viene tirata fuori, il cessate il fuoco viene rotto”, dichiarò in settembre la sorella di Moffett lo scorso settembre.

Le reazioni (Video)

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UVF ceasefire questioned after riots (UTV)
The newly elected Progressive Unionist leader, David Ervine‘s brother Brian, has admitted “there were probably individual UVF members involved”.It came as the Assistant Chief Constable confirmed there had been reports made by Fire Service personnel of a gunman on the streets.”We believe there were sinister elements that were clearly orchestrating this violence,” Duncan McCausland told UTV.Thousands of pounds worth of damage was caused close to the Rathcoole estate after violence flared on both Monday and Tuesday night.Over the course of the two evenings, two bus drivers – one male, one female – were dragged from their hijacked vehicles and attacked before the buses were set alight.Bricks were also hurled at an ambulance carrying a patient to hospital. Other missiles, including petrol bombs, were thrown at police.Children as young as nine were spotted, despite pleas from police and community workers for parents to stop young people becoming involved.”It was not sanctioned by the Ulster Volunteer Force brigade staff,” Mr Ervine insisted.But the report of a handgun amid the disturbances raises fresh questions over the UVF’s current role, as the terror group is supposed to have handed over its weapons.What’s happened here has not just put policing in the spotlight, but also the activities of the UVF – a group supposedly on ceasefire and supposed to have handed over all its weapons.UTV’s Correspondent Sharon O’NeillACC McCausland said it was not for him to judge whether or not the UVF was still on ceasefire.”We will report the facts and allow the politicians or the IMC or whoever to make that decision,” he said.”But there were clearly people on Monday night who were out orchestrating rioting and were running around with guns and masks.”In May 2007, the UVF issued a statement renouncing violence and committing to a process of transformation from a military to a civilian organisation. Full decommissioning came two years later.But in September of this year, the paramilitary watchdog reported that the UVF leadership had sanctioned the brutal killing of Bobby Moffett on the Shankill in broad daylight.The Independent Monitoring Commission came under fire from the victim’s family though, for stating that the killing had not broken the terms of the UVF ceasefire.”No matter whether it is a kneecapping or a killing – when a gun is pulled out, the ceasefire is broke in our eyes”, Mr Moffett’s sister, Irene, told UTV at the time.The riots in Newtownabbey are believed to have been sparked by police searches, carried out as part of their investigations into unsolved killings by the UVF in the area.The PUP’s Mr Ervine said the trouble was part of a “bigger picture” of unionist dissatisfaction with police investigations into past crimes.”There’s a perception among unionist working class people that the Historical Enquiries Team is scrutinising their areas and they’re coming down hard on unionists – whereas that’s not happening in republican areas.”But on the other hand, police have been criticised for not doing enough to stop the loyalist rioting in Newtownabbey. Those accusations have been strongly denied by ACC McCausland.”Police are not soft on anyone breaking the law,” he told UTV.”It wasn’t the case in 2005 when I put 175 so-called loyalists before the courts for rioting up in the Whiterock. Police weren’t soft then – the police have never been soft on rioting.”In the wake of the disorder, meetings have been held between Translink management and members of the union representing bus drivers.Wednesday evening’s services to and from the Rathcoole area have been withdrawn as a safety measure.A Translink spokesperson said: “The safety of our passengers and employees is top priority.”The last departure of services from the City Centre to Rathcoole and the Doagh Road was at 5.15pm, with the last departure from these areas at 5.15pm.

Articoli correlati

• PSNI: “There were gunmen, let’s have no illusions about this…” (sluggerotoole.com)
• Petrol bombs thrown in Belfast during second night of rioting (guardian.co.uk)
• Loyalist riot serious say police (bbc.co.uk)
• Young children ‘involved in riot’ (bbc.co.uk)