Garvaghy Road Residents Coalition

July 6, 1999 - early afternoon

A group of OO members came down their hill and moved along the ditch and barbed wire far to their right (for those of you who know the geography) and tried to cut through the barbed wire to enter the Catholic cemetery alongside the Catholic chapel where numbers of nationalist residents were gathered.

Immediately numbers of helicopters dropped British troops to cut them off; dogs were brought in etc. The nationalists were great in maintaining calm and not responding with violence. They know that any violence on their part will allow the security forces and press to portray them as the instigators, so they have organized their own infrastructure of stewards to try to keep calm, discipline Catholics who shout taunts or other wise become confrontational with RUC or soldiers. The OO who tried to cut through objects, epithets, and I think bottle rockets. No one was arrested.

4 men, obviously loyalists, were arrested after their car was searched. They were on their way to Drumcree and carried in their car wire cutters, camouflage clothing, ski masks, and petrol. They were released almost immediately by RUC because their East Belfast employer (E. Belfast is a loyalist stronghold) said they needed these items for their work.

As an example of the differential treatment of Catholics/Protestants by security forces, although the OO can behave violently, transport things obviously intended for illegal activity and not be arrested and/or prosecuted, one Catholic teenager who threw a rock at the RUC was hauled of to jail. He is the brother of a teenager who just committed suicide - the third teenage suicide in as many on Garvaghy Road - a boy who was basically a-political but who nonetheless had been harassed and beat up by RUC and loyalists. Unionists have also been chanting ditties about the suicide.

The OO attempted entry into the Catholic cemetery involved no clashes with the nationalists since the latter remained calm and also because soldiers stopped the OO members. Nonetheless, the radio report I heard said that there had been a clash between Catholics and Protestants (thus implying both sides were equally to blame) and another important news media reported that there was violence involving Catholics in the cemetery and that plastic bullets were fired (leaving the OO out all together and implying that Catholics started trouble and were shot at).

Last night there was more significant OO violence as they again tried to enter the cemetery where nationalist residents were. Plastic bullets, tear gas, dogs, many soldiers were brought in. The TV today reported that 6 RUC were injured and that (only) two OO members were arrested. Although I still need to get confirmed reports of these numbers, it is not surprising that once again their violence is treated with kid gloves. I was on duty at posts from 6 p.m. until 4 a.m. and observed incidents of security forces pulling moves to frighten the residents and, for example, an RUC trying to goad Catholic teenage boys into a confrontation.

Today and tomorrow are expected to be relatively calm, as these last days have been considered. The Parades Commission early this a.m. announced that all contentious parades are being re-routed -- that OO will have to enter into direct talks with Catholic residents if they are to negotiate parades through their neighborhoods. This is sure to upset the OO. Thursday is payday, hence, a day for more drinking. Stepped-up violence is expected.

There is some hope it can be avoided if the OO keep losing the public opinion war and lose support. A planned parade around the Garvaghy Road neighborhood last night seems to have been canceled due to too few Oos members to march. That would be a great solution.

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