The Five Demands

Portadown loyalist attack pre-planned and orchestrated
Press Release 16th July
In a statement issued in the aftermath of violence in Portadown on Friday night, the Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition (GRRC) has said that the attacks were well-organised, pre-planned and obviously orchestrated by loyalist paramilitaries. The Residents’ Coalition also stated their belief that the violence was not unconnected to a planned Orange Order protest due to take place at Drumcree next Wednesday evening (July 20th).
A GRRC spokesperson said, “From lunch-time on Friday, speculation was rife around Portadown indicating that loyalists intended to attack the nationalist Obins Street area of the town later that evening.
“Shortly after 7.30pm, large numbers of masked loyalists began to congregate at Corcrain Road/Charles St close to the peaceline. They then moved en masse towards Craigwell Avenue which had previously been subjected to attacks during the early hours of the 12th July. Several homes were damaged in that previous attack.
“Missiles were again thrown towards homes in Craigwell Avenue on Friday night. Several residents of Craigwell Avenue reported seeing several members of the PSNI in conversation with a number of the masked men. At least one family has since permanently vacated their home as a result of last night’s attacks.
“Shortly afterwards, the loyalist mob then moved down along Corcrain Road directly towards the peaceline to launch attacks on homes in Obins Drive and Obins Avenue.
“The degree and intensity of Friday night’s attacks and the co-ordination of the loyalist crowd, estimated to involve up to 300 hundred men, clearly suggests that this was clearly a pre-planned attempted onslaught on nationalist homes along the peaceline.
“Given the speculation that had arisen earlier during Friday about such an attack, coupled with the obvious pre-planning, organisation and orchestration involved in the violence, the conclusion can only be reached that one or more loyalist paramilitary groupings was responsible.
Furthermore, given that speculation was rife around the town from lunch-time on Friday about such a loyalist attack, serious questions arise for the PSNI.
Why did the PSNI not take effective steps to prevent this loyalist paramilitary mob from assembling close to the peaceline?
Why did PSNI officers engage in conversation with the leaders of this paramilitary mob?
Why did the PSNI not prevent the mob from moving towards the peaceline or from attacking homes?
“It is also noticeable that Friday night’s violence, together with the 12th July attacks on Craigwell Avenue, have occurred in the run-up to a planned demonstration by the Orange Order due to take place next Wednesday evening at Drumcree.
“Given the previous history of such events and the well-documented linkage between Orange Order demonstrations at Drumcree and loyalist paramilitary violence, it is the belief of many within this community that Friday nights attacks, like the earlier attack on Craigwell Avenue, are not unconnected to the Orange Order’s planned demo.”
END