At around 11pm the PSNI have confirmed that three devices where thrown at the Alliance party offices on the Newtownards Rd in East Belfast.
When this happened last November I wrote a piece about the members of staff who work in that office and most of the same people are still there. Nearly 18 months after the flag vote, members of staff having to work under dire conditions and constituents are being denied access to their local MP.
Politicians offices being attacked is nothing new in Northern Ireland and sadly in 2014, it is still going on. Like a nightmare, we cannot seem to wake up from the mindless hatred that fuels something like this. There are 23 days until polling day, if people dislike the party so much, then at council and European level they can register their protest by voting against them.
The party has taken to Twitter to deliver its message
Thank you to everybody who has passed on their messages of support. We will not be intimidated by the men of violence
— Alliance Party (@allianceparty) April 29, 2014
Naomi Long also tweeted
If there are people out there who still believe that fire bombs or other attacks will drive me out, they are wrong. #NoFear #ForEveryone — Naomi Long MP (@naomi_long) April 29, 2014
The First Minister has also taken to Twitter to give his condemnation
I condemn without reservation the senseless attack on E. Belfast Alliance Party office. No cause ever advanced by such criminality. — Peter Robinson (@DUPleader) April 29, 2014
Sinn Fein’s Niall O’Donnghaile has tweeted
Seeing the news of petrol bomb attack on @naomi_long solidarity 2 her & staff. These attacks on offices or homes are wrong & must be stopped
— Niall Ó Donnghaile (@NiallSF) April 29, 2014
David McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs
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