More Protestants targetted in Dunclug/Ballymena

[Harry]

Man says house attack 'sectarian'

Two petrol bombs were thrown at the property
The owner of a house in Ballymena targeted twice within a five-hour period has said he believes he was the victim of a sectarian attack.
Two petrol bombs were thrown at the property in Dunclug Park at 0300 BST causing damage to the front door.

The house was attacked five hours later when petrol was poured through a window and a fire was started.

The man said he has been targeted before because he is a Protestant living in a mainly Catholic estate.

However, he said he would not be forced out of the area where he has lived for more than 30 years.

No-one was in the house at the time of either attack.



Police have appealed for anyone with information concerning the incident to contact them.

[Harry]

In the past 1-2 years this must be roughly the 16th or 17th Protestant family attacked in this area. Where does this rank in terms of hatred?? Surely this has got to the stages of ethnic cleansing?? If this had of been catholics being attacked it would of been headline news. Look at how Ahoghill made world news when 3-4 catholic homes were attacked, whats happening in Dunclug is on a different scale but its met with walls of silence from within republicanism. Its a disgrace.

[Jim]

So why arent unionist leaders breaking that silence?

Ethnic cleansing doesnt exist here, its not nice whats happening but its not ethnic cleansing, thats never happened, ever, we arent different ethnicities.

[Wasp]

It certainly is ethnic cleansing and it has being happening here for years. No other term could describe it best apart from pure sectarian hatred.

I was in dunvale recently and I was surprized to hear that in a four year period one street which was nicknamed Protestant road now has not one Protestant living there. In this area thankfully I have free movement and I have been told no-one will bother me and who to goto if they do. Now one comment was made that I found laughable was that Ballykeel is full of bigoted Protestant bastards and not one of them will be allowed in republican Ballymena. Wankers

[Jim]

We arent different ethnicities. We look the same, talk the same, speak the same language, live in the same cities, in general follow christianity and our genes are virtually mixed around so much the only difference is what priest we listen too and what flag we like better.

Its very secterian to put people out of their homes for that and its wrong but its not ethnic cleansing.

[Harry]

I used the term ethnic cleansing because thats what i see as happening. Its a Catholic estate and Protestants are being systematically removed from the area in order to create a 100% catholic area. Now i can find numerous meanings on the net for ethnic cleansing which are broad enough to include whats happening in Ballymena and others are more narrow and precise which would make it more difficult, but i hardly think that is the most important issue of this thread.

We've been down this road Setanta before and established SF have been totally silent on the issue so why would any Protestant approach SF when their double standards is so blatantly obvious???

[Harry]

It seems SF are capable of speaking out about this after all. Its taken long enough and i hope SF actions are louder than words and they are able to influence this situation and bring about an end to these attacks.

Sectarian claims in petrol bomb attack





« Previous « PreviousNext » Next »
View GalleryREPUBLICANS have joined unionists to condemn a petrol bomb attack on a Protestant man in Ballymena.
The motive for the incident in the Dunclug estate is unclear, but one possibility is that it was sectarian. The man’s home is said to have been attacked previously.

Sinn Fein representative Padrag McShane said: “I utterly condemn this attack which could have had lethal consequences. On behalf of the party I am urging calm in this area.”

Two petrol bombs were thrown at the property in Dunclug Park area at 3am on Saturday causing damage to the front door. A fire was started five hours later when petrol was poured through a window.

A PSNI spokesman said: “No one was in the house at the time of either attack.”

In a report on the BBC website, the man, who was not named, was said to have described the attack as being of a sect- arian nature. He is a Protestant man living in a largely Catholic area.

DUP councillor John Carson said: “This attack has done nothing for community relations but to heighten tensions and must be condemned by all right-thinking members of society.

“The victim has lived in the area for some considerable time and I am led to believe that this is not the first time his home has been attacked.”

Sinn Fein said it will be organising a community meeting with statutory bodies in attendance to discuss the incident and to identify all social and economic issues facing the area.

Police have yet to establish a motive for the attack.

The PSNI spokesman said: “Police are appealing for anyone with information to contact them.”

[Harry]

setanta said:

Sinn Fein said it will be organising a community meeting with statutory bodies in attendance to discuss the incident and to identify all social and economic issues facing the area.

I think that this shows that Sinn Féin are serious about trying to stop this type of thing. When was the last time the DUP organised a community meeting? Do they know where the community is?

No good throwing the DUP at me cos i dislike them as much as you do

[Wasp]

Sinn Fein said it will be organising a community meeting with statutory bodies in attendance to discuss the incident and to identify all social and economic issues facing the area.

Why couldn't they have done this before a long time ago or have they already done that and it has proved to be just empty words.

I think that this shows that Sinn Féin are serious about trying to stop this type of thing.

Considering Unionists in the area blame sinn fein for fueling hatred and creating and maintaing tensions and situations very few if any on the Unionist side would remotely think sinn fein are serious. More a case of just saying it to keep up the appearance, but in reality they couldn't care less about any Protestant in Ballymena.

When was the last time the DUP organised a community meeting? Do they know where the community is?

What has the dup got to do with what sinn fein are doing?? Considering many of the people who live in the Dunclug area hate anything Protestant/Unionist the dupers wouldn't carry much influence in stopping the scum that targeted this mans house.

I just hope that some Catholic home doesn't now get attacked.

[Jim]

The DUP have a lot to do with it, they claim to represent every protestant, protectors of the faith, gods chosen ulster warriors, blah blah blah. And they've a commitment being in the executive.

[Wasp]

Would you say an area that is nicknamed republican Ballymena where the real ira has considerable support, where Portestant homes and people themselves have been attacked purely because of their religion that they would listen to the dup???

People fromother areas have moved into this area and those who have lived there for years are fed up with all what's going on, some want to move elsewhere. Some of these people who are republicans even blame sinn fein for there part in what's going on with some saying they just want to get on with their lives without sinn fein creating tensions. I often hear that those who support the real ira hate sinn fein well Dunclug must be different to everywhere else because some of those who support the real ira goto protests at the market road along with there sinn fein representative and they also vote sinn fein. Funny old world we live in.

[Jim]

I already told you. The DUP call themselves the leaders of all protestants, no sorry, "people of ulster" whoever the fuck that is. I dont know a lot about the real IRA I dont support anything they do, at all, they dont support the peace process at all. But because the DUP want to label themselves what they do they should be living up to the name and highlighting whats happening to the world.

I dont know anyone who supports the real IRA and then goes out and votes for provo sinn fein, it doesnt even make sense the only thing that the two have in common is wanting a united Ireland, and even then they want to do it in completely different ways.

Harry would be able to tell you about dissident republicans, hes had arguements with them before on UpTheRa, a different story to someone like myself or setanta or afd.

[Blue Angel]

I'm a member of that site and I remember people ripping strips of Harry purely because of his background which was shameful - there were some exceptions but some people just threw the most crude sectarian rubbish at Harry. I find them a simplistic bunch often enough - there are a few rational thinkers who have an inclusive view of republicanism but also a lot of guys who live up to the stereotype of the barstool boston republican.

[Jim]

I got banned from it twice, the admins kept changing my password because I was agreeing with Harry on a fair amount of issues even though am a republican, but back then I didnt call myself one because I didnt know what to call myself, I had the mentality of "if these are 'true' republicans then i wont call myself one".

[Harry]

I was asking for condemnation from SF and now it seems they have started. Fair play to them for it, but why has it taken so long?? I agree with WASP that the majority of Protestants see SF as being responsible for the increase in tensions within Ballymena and i've no doubt that is true. Of course many other factors have to come into it but there can be no doubt community relations have soured with the arrival of SF in Ballymena. Alot of the responsibilty also lies within my community as we struggled to deal with SF and many resorted to needless sectarian attacks which only strengthened SF positions and gave them more purpose.

With it being a republican area the onus is on SF to bring about an end to actions like these and i accept that certain individuals will do what they want regardless but SF must have their ears to the ground enough in the area to have some idea who are responsible for these incidents and its up to them to report these people to the police. Unionists also need a big size 12 up the arse and we should be kicking up hell regarding this and highlighting to every man and his dog. I've spoken to someone from dunclug and he tells me that he's been to the DUP,UUP,PUP,UPRG and very little has been done so that in itself should bring shame on Unionism within Ballymena.