AFA Ireland: Recent fascist related events/reports in the North

national | miscellaneous | news report Friday August 16, 2002 17:19 by Pat C - Anti Fascist Action afa at ireland dot com P.O. Box 3355, Dublin 7

Here is some information concerning various recent events in different parts of the 6 counties in which names of fascist groups were used. The information comes from the Pat Finucane Centre in Derry, from the media and from AFA sources. (Links are not available to all of this materiel. We also felt it would be useful to anti-racist activists to have it assembled in one article.)

AFA Ireland: Recent fascist related events/reports in the North

Here is some information concerning various recent events in different parts of the 6 counties in which names of fascist groups were used. The information comes from the Pat Finucane Centre in Derry, from the media and from AFA sources.
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Newtonabbey:
July 1, Monday. At a Newtownabbey council meeting, Cllr. Mark Langhammer (Ind. Labour) blamed the neo-nazi group Combat 18 for the recent attacks on graves in the Carnmoney Cemetery in Newtownabbey, Co. Antrim. Unionist councillors suggested the recent attacks on Catholic graves in
the cemetery were due, in part, to a "sectarian policy" within the graveyard (both Catholics and Protestants are interred in the cemetery but in
separate sections.) Cllr. Ivan Hunter (UUP) also suggested that "Mass gatherings" (such as Cemetery Sunday) should no longer be permitted in
Carnmoney Cemetery. For the past two years, Loyalists have picketed Annual Cemetery Sunday gatherings. (North Belfast News, Irish News)
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Warrior
The June/July edition of Warrior, the UDA/UFF’s publication, boasted that an earlier report of a cross burning in Bushmills, Co. Antrim, which
had been downplayed by a DUP politician in the local press, had in fact taken place and was the work of "local members of the Klu Klux Klan"
[sic]. It also published a photograph of a hooded figure standing in front of a burning cross, which it claimed was evidence that it was the
Klan. Ties between Ulster Loyalism and white supremacism are well documented. (Pat Finucane Centre, community workers)
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Shankill Road
August 2002 - On a short 10 minute drive in the Shankill Road and surrounding streets we saw at least three graffiti sites with ‘Combat 18’,
‘Leeds Utd’ and ‘West Belfast Loyalists’ slogans all sprayed in the same paint and handwriting. (AFA Ireland).
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Ballymena
July 21st, Sunday. At around midnight, up to 100 loyalist youths, described by the Ballymena Guardian as wearing swastika emblems and Ku Klux
Klan type paraphernalia, erected a burning barricade across the mixed North Road and Clonavon Road. The area is a mixed religion area into which a number of Portuguese families had recently moved. Local sources say that these families have been subjected to intimidation such as having their windows broken. A loyalist mural was recently painted in the area against locals wishes. Locals also said that the same group of loyalists had started to paint a Ku Klux Klan mural, complete with swastikas, on another wall. [see report below from paper, posted on C18 site].

This article is in the ‘news’ section of the C18 site at: http://www.skrewdriver.net/news.html
There are two photos on the page too, including one of the ‘mural’.
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The article below was published in the Ballymena Guardian on Wednesday 24 July 2002. NB The spelling is exactly the same as that used in the
newspaper article!!
The events took place early Sunday morning, 21st July 2002. NS activists recently distributed copies of the latest Razors Edge CD in the area
which has nothing at all to do with this activity of course...

(News Article)
Klu Klutz Klan riot terrifies pensioner

A mural printed on the wall of a house at Clonavon Road which caused upset to residents.
Residents in South Ballymena awakened in the early hours of Sunday morning when around 100 rioters took to the streets causing four hours of
destruction.
According to an onlooker, youths, "wearing Hitler style emblems and scarfs to cover their faces", brought North Street to "a complete
standstill" when they erected a bonfire barricade across the street at around midnight. Police landrovers were pelted with bottles and breeze
blocks as officers arrived to investigate.
One elderly Clonavon Road resident told the Guardian that around 70 more people who, after leaving local pubs at closing time, joined the Klu Klutz clan type group in the onslaught against PSNI officers that lasted into the early hours of Sunday.
The Grandmother, who does not want to be identified for her own personal safety, said: "it was unbelievable. "About 30 youths, I think some as young as 15 or 16, built a fire across the North Road some time after 12am. "They used whatever they could get their hands on to fuel the fire.
"The whole place came to a complete stand still'"
She added: "They wore Hitler type emblems, like the Klu klutz clan, and scarfs around their faces to hide their identities."
Obviously concerned for her personal safely, the pensioner revealed that she and many other North Road and Clonavon Road residents, hid behind
closed doors in fear that their homes or themselves would come under attack.
She said: "I was frightened. This is a very mixed area and nothing like this ever happens around here. "When the police came to investigate, a
riot broke out. "The youths starting throwing bottles at the landrovers. "They even broke up stone slabs and hurled them."
She added: "After leaving the pubs at closing time, around 70 more people Joined the rioters. "The riot continued until about 4am on Sunday
morning."

The Fire Brigade's Divisional Officer, Jim Guy, confirmed that one appliance was sent to North Street in the early hours of Sunday morning. He
told the Guardian that the police had moved the people away and all was quiet when the firemen arrived at the scene.
Once the fire had been put out the DOE cleared of debris.
A spokeswoman for the PSNI said that police officers arrived at North Road on Sunday morning officers were confronted by 30 to 40 people who
were rolling tyres on to the centre of the road and setting them alight. She confirmed that the events are still under investigation.
The resident told the Guardian that she believed that youths were from outside the area that had been "brought in". "Some Portuguese people have
moved into the area a few months ago. "Since coming here, some have had the windows of their home put in, I feel that this in all interrelated.

"The Council were due to come on Monday to paint over an intimidating mural on the back wall of houses on Clonavon Road. "Locals have heard that
a larger mural is due to be painted on the side of another local properly, and I for one am not happy about this.
The grandmother added: "I do not want my grandchildren growing up with this type of hatred. "This area is a quiet mixed area. Protestants and Catholics live side by side.
"So, we do not want this kind of behaviour happening in our area. If people want to put flags up they can. In my opinion you do not have to put a flag out to know what religion you are. There are a lot of pensioners living in these streets and the events of the weekend Must have caused
them and other residents to be concerned that events like this could happen again in the future. Next time some could be hurt or even worse."

On visiting the North road after the Sunday riot, pensioner, Jack Robinson, 66, was horrified to see the burnt traffic lights and the scarred
tarmac.
The grandfather of four said: "I was away in Manchester at the weekend and this is the scene that has greeted me on my return. "This is a
peaceful area and the people are very friendly. I have lived in Ballymena all my life and my home is not far from this scene."
He added: "I am shocked and dismayed to see property destroyed in this way."

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South Belfast
Racist attacks on Islamic Leader
Jamal Iweida, president of the Belfast Islamic Centre, and his family left their home in Finaghy after their house and car were attacked and
damaged, the culmination of a sustained campaign of racial violence and intimidation including threats and a break-in. These incidents followed
a sustained campaign of racial violence and intimidation. Police figures show that the number of racist incidents in Northern Ireland has
doubled in the past four years. Community activists point out, however, that these statistics are only the tip of the iceberg, as many victims
of racist attacks do not report them to the police. (Irish News, South Belfast News, community workers)

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South Belfast
KKK mural in south Belfast

A Ku Klux Klan/Neo-Nazi mural painted on a derelict building off the lower Lisburn Road in south Belfast has been widely condemned. The plain black and white mural, which features the letters KKK surrounding a swastika, is on a wall close to the loyalist Village area above other
loyalist paramilitary murals. Loyalists have well-documented links with neo-Nazi organisations in Britain such as Combat 18 named after the
position in the alphabet of the letters AH (for Adolf Hitler).

South Belfast is a relatively integrated and cosmopolitan area, although students have come under loyalist attack in recent months and loyalists have staged riots in an apparent effort to claim territory. Flags, murals and painted kerbstones in the south Belfast area have also served to deter newcomers to the area.

Patrick Yu, from the North's Council for Ethnic Minorities, said he was "very concerned" that this message could translate into action in the
form of racial harassment