Relative calm comes to an end

The relative calm experienced by nationalist communities during the
loyalist Twelfth marching period came to a shuddering end over the last
7 days as loyalist gangs attacked Catholic homes in the Stiles estate
in Antrim, threatened a teenage Catholic girl in Dunmurry by putting to
her head and torched a Catholic church outside Magherafelt in County
Derry.

In the midst of this loyalist violence homes in the Clandeboye area of
the Short Strand, which was experiencing a period of peace since the
pogroms of last summer, have come under fire from loyalist youths using
ball bearings and golf balls.

And not content with their attacks on Catholics loyalist paramilitaries
have shown the racist side to their make up by erecting Nazi insignia
in Ballymena and distributing White National Party literature as part
of their campaign against non whites.

SHORT STRAND

According to Sinn Fein's Joe O'Donnell loyalist youths have been
attacking nationalist homes in Clandeboye Drive and Clandeboye Gardens
with ball bearings, golf balls and other missiles on a daily basis.

"These loyalist thugs are threatening the relative calm which exists in
the Short Strand", said O'Donnell.

In the latest attacks car windscreens, sun roofs as well as houses have
been hit by missiles fired from hunting catapults over the interface
wall from the loyalist Cluan Place.

O'Donnell said the attacks had increased since the Twelfth and people
had collected sackfuls of golf balls and ball bearings which had been
fired into the area.ENDS

RACIST BALLYMENA

Loyalist supporters of the White Nationalist Party (WNP) have been
erecting 'Nazi' flags and distributing party leaflets in the loyalist
town of Ballymena, County Antrim.

White Nationalist Party flags have been put up on lamppost's beside the
joint offices of the Social Security Agency and the Housing Executive
in Twickenham House at Mount Street and in the Clonavon area of the
town.

Erecting these flags at these offices is designed to intimidate Black
people who use these agencies.

The colour of the WNP's flag is borrowed from the colours of the Nazi
Swastika flag.

The WNP are also behind the distribution of sectarian leaflets at a
major car park in Ballymena.

Last week drivers returning to their cars at the car park beside the
Tower Centre shopping complex discovered the far right party's leaflets
tucked under their windscreen wipers.

The leaflets entitled 'Stand by loyal Ulster' states that 'Northern
Ireland' residents who refuse to renounce allegiance to the Irish
Republic should lose their British citizenship and as a result should
lose their right to live on British soil.

Moyle Sinn Fein councillor Oliver McMullan said he has been contacted
by shoppers who are worried that this sort of activity is putting
peoples' lives at risk.

CHURCH BADLY DAMAGED

An historic South Derry Catholic church has been badly damaged in a
sectarian arson attack.

Extensive damage was caused to the altar of St John's Church, on the
main Magherafelt to Castledawson Road at around 5.30am on Saturday 26
July. A window at the rear of the church was broken and flammable
liquid was poured in.

The floor at the rear of the building was also badly damaged. The floor
dates from the time of the penal laws in Ireland.

Parish church curate Father David Moore said it would take a lot of
money to repair the damage.

The Church is located yards from O'Donovan Rossa's GAA ground which has
been the target of sectarian attacks by loyalists on numerous occasions
in recent years.

ARMAGH BOMB SCARE

The crown forces mounted a massive security operation in South Armagh
last Thursday 24 July after unionist paramilitaries claimed to have
abandoned three bombs they were using to target Sinn Fein
representatives living in the area.

In a telephone warning the unionist paramilitaries warned that pipe
bombs and a grenade were abandoned in the Camlough/Bessbrook area of
County Armagh.

The Newry bypass was closed for several hours as British and PSNI
personnel searched the area, however nothing was found.

Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy responding to the warning said, "this is the
reality of being a Sinn Fein representative in areas like South Armagh.
The failure of the unionist leadership has created a political vacuum
which is being filled by the widespread increase in unionist
paramilitary violence.

"These unionist paramilitaries are opposed to the political process and
opposed to the peace process. They have nothing positive to offer to
the challenges we face as a society in dealing with the process of
change".

FAMILIES EVACUATED

A number of families living in the troubled Leckagh Drive Estate in
Magherafelt County Derry were evacuated from their homes last Thursday
as the British army carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect
device.

The device was declared an elaborate hoax. This was the latest act of
intimidation carried out in the estate which has been plaqued by
unionist paramilitary violence against Catholics in the last 18 months.

The High Court in Belfast was told just last week that Catholic familes
are being driven from the County Derry housing estate by a campaign of
sectarian intimidation.

A crown lawyer told the court that Catholic residents of the Leckagh
Drive estate in Magherafelt would be at risk if bail was granted to
local man Robert Donnelly, who is denying a charge of collecting
information useful to terrorists.

POLITICIAN THREATENED

County Derry SDLP politician John Dallat has received a sectarian
threat posted from Scotland.

An envelope containing a pamphlet with a threatening message written
on the back was sent to Dallat's home address.

The pamphlet entitled the 'Last Rites' included a comic strip about an
individual named John who is seen receiving the last rites from a
priest after being involved in an accident.

Dallat said it was an attack on both himself and the Catholic church.

Dallat says his home address was misspelt on the envelope, and matched
the misspelling which accompanied his personal details when they were
posted onto a loyalist web site several years ago.