Death threat follows peace vigil
A COUNCILLOR who organised a peace vigil in response to a dissident bomb attack has received a death threat.
Newry councillor Gary Stokes took a leading part in last Friday’s vigil to protest against the car bomb at Newry Courthouse.
Dissident republicans have been blamed for the terror blast which caused strutural damage in the city last Monday evening.
The candlelit peace vigil, attended by public representatives, traders and members of the local community took place near the site of the car bomb.
Newry and Mourne mayor John Feehan revealed Councillor Stokes had been informed of the credible death threat by police.
He said: “The message was quite explicit. It warned Gary not to speak out against dissident republican actions, otherwise he would be shot.
“These groups are not just threatening the lives and limbs of our citizens, they are directly threatening democracy itself by seeking to muzzle elected representatives.”
He added: “Any claims they might make to represent any political cause or speak on behalf of any part of the population of this island must be measured against their threat to use violence and murder to suppress democracy.”
Last week, Newry traders sent a letter to local newspapers saying it was “business as usual” following the bomb attack.
Police were left with just minutes to clear the area around the courthouse before the car bomb weighing up to 250lb detonated.
Senior officers described it as a miracle that no-one was killed or injured in the blast.
