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Ní Chuilín: basta attacchi alle Orange Hall

Former IRA prisoner calls for end to Orange Hall attacks

Clifton Street Orange Hall, BelfastA FORMER IRA prisoner has led demands for sectarian attacks on Orange halls to stop, after yet more halls were vandalised.
North Belfast MLA Carál Ní Chuilín, who in 1989 was sentenced to eight years in prison on explosives charges, denounced an attack on Clifton Street Orange Hall as “blatant sectarianism”.

A separate attack on an Orange hall in the centre of Rasharkin, in which sectarian slogans were daubed on the building, was condemned by Sinn Fein North Antrim MLA Daithí McKay who said that the attacks “served nobody’s interest and people want them to end”.

Unionists welcomed the republicans’ strong condemnation of the attakcs.
In the latest attack on Clifton Street Orange Hall – traditionally the starting point for the Belfast Twelfth parade – paint was thrown at the hall’s facade.

Extensive work was recently carried out to enhance the appearance of the hall, including the removal of a steel cage which protected the building for more than 30 years, to improve the appearance of main roads going into the city centre.

Ms Ní Chuilín said: “Given the work that was done, to have paint spattered over the front of the building for purely sectarian reasons is completely unacceptable and those behind the attack have no right to do this.”

Rasharkin Orange Hall attackThe Rasharkin hall has also been attacked four times this year. Mr McKay said: “Any attacks of this nature need to be stopped immediately and those behind the attack need to realise there is no support whatsoever from the vast majority of both sections of our communities.”

Belfast DUP councillor William Humphrey, chairman of the council’s Development Committee, said that the attack would not prevent the Clifton Street building’s restoration.

“Obviously, we are now going to have to make good the damage sustained in this attack: this will have implications not only for this particular project, but it will have a knock-on effect for other projects in the area, as we will have to find the money from other budgets,” the Orangeman said.

Speaking of the Sinn Fein MLAs’ comments, he added: “The condemnation and strength of it are both welcome.

“We should all be about creating a tolerant society.”

North Belfast DUP MP Nigel Dodds condemned the “sectarian” attack as the work of “narrow-minded republican bigots” and said that the annual Twelfth parade would leave from the front of the hall as is traditional.

He said: “The attackers should know that rather than discouraging the Orange brethren and sisters this bigoted attack will only reinforce their determination not to be bowed and to provide a marvellous parade and celebration for all to enjoy on Monday, July 13.”

Fellow Orangeman and former Belfast UUP Lord Mayor Jim Rodgers said that he was saddened by the attacks and said that the Orange Order may need to look at CCTV or individuals guarding halls if the attacks continued.

He “absolutely welcomed” the Sinn Fein condemnation of the attacks but added “just like on the loyalist side, I hope their words mean what they say”.

Ballymoney TUV councillor Audrey Patterson said that the “cowardly attacks” had been “rightly viewed by the minority community of the village as an assault upon the entire Protestant population”.
Orange Order Grand Secretary Drew Nelson said that he was disappointed by the attacks.

“We believe these attacks to be sectarian and we are very disappointed that a small number of people in the nationalist community seem to want to still attack the Orange Order,” he said.

“We would call on politicians and community leaders in the nationalist community to do everything in their power to discourage them.”

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René Querin

Di professione grafico e web designer, sono appassionato di trekking e innamorato dell'Irlanda e della sua storia. Insieme ad Andrea Varacalli ho creato e gestisco Les Enfants Terribles.

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