IRSP statement - British Attack Short Strand

Date: 15th May '02

Name: IRSP

Country: IRELAND

Irish Republican Socialist Party

*

Costello House,392 Falls Road, Belfast, BT12
6DH
County Antrim,
Ireland.
Tel - 028 90321024 Fax - 02890 330786
Date - 15/5/02

RE- BRITISH ATTACK SHORT STRAND
RESIDENTS

The Belfast IRSP are calling for an immediate
emergency meeting of nationalist residents who
live alongside all Belfast interfaces to discuss the
way forward following last nights vicious attack on
the Short Strand by the British military forces.

IRSP spokesperson Paul Little said ;

“Ever since
the signing of the Good Friday Agreement
nationalist communities across Belfast and further
afield have been coming under attack from
militant loyalism and when these attacks are
repelled by local communities the forces of the
British military machine attempt to complete the
attacks began loyalist forces. Whether it is the
facilitating; the loyalist protesters at Glenbryn, the
nightly attacks on North Queen Street, Limestone
Rd, Westland Rd Duncairn Gardens, Carlisle
Circus and the Whitewell Rd, the British invariably
use these attacks as an excuse to attack the
nationalist community in Belfast.

The IRSP believe that attempts by the British state
to represent these attacks as localised disputes
mask the true intent of British loyalism, the total
segregation of the working class communities in
the city. These attacks are not localised but part of
a wider agenda to erect walls and permanent
division between communities for all time, thus
maintaining British rule through the age old ruse
of divide and conquer.”

In conclusion the IRSP representative said;

“No
one is denying that there are divisions across
Belfast, but that division has at its roots in British
policy in Ireland over decades. British occupation
may be at the root of current division but the
recent attacks on nationalist communities are
firmly based on today’s political agenda.
Unionism and Loyalism has difficulties in coming
to terms with the realities of the ‘Peace Process’ ,
its complete failure over the past eight years to
engage in any meaningful way with the nationalist
community exposes its apartheid agenda for all to
see. That this agenda is being facilitated by the
British exposes Britain's true intentions in regards
to the new Ireland of the future. A meeting of all
nationalist communities affected by these ongoing
attacks is necessary to insure that there is a
uniform response , the IRSP wish to see a
peaceful response to these attacks but that will
only happen if if there is discussion and dialogue
both in singular communities and inter
community.’’ STATEMENT ENDS

Back to discussion page                    RA home page