Another petrol bomb attack. This time in west Belfast on the small Protestant enclave of Suffolk. Sinn Fein Councillor Gerard O’Neill was quick off the mark to make a statement yesterday:
“Whoever was behind the attack and for whatever motive, it is a disgrace and will not stop the good work continuing between the communities of Suffolk and Lenadoon areas.
“While the circumstances surrounding the incident are unclear at this early stage any attack on people’s homes with petrol bombs can clearly lead to death or serious injury. Thankfully in this incident no one was hurt.
“If it is sectarian then the people of the Suffolk estate should know that those that carried it out do not represent their neighbours in Lenadoon. Sectarianism from whatever guise is a cancer in our society and needs treated as such.”
The Carsonia1921 blog quotes PUP sources saying:
“2 petrol bombs threw over interface wall tonight, 19/6/13, striking a home containing a 5 year old and a 2 week old baby…” and “these are the same interface walls that government agencies are investing thousands of pounds over the next 3 years to see of ways to reduce and remove.”
Tensions in this area have been dropping, and significant investment in cross community projects aimed at creating a safe shared space around the local shopping zone.
Mick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty