It would appear that, when public order situations arise, police still prefer to negotiate with “those with influence”. From the BBC report Police in riot gear were on standby during the trouble, but calm was quickly restored after police talked to community workers. Oh, community workers.. Pete Baker
A couple of points to note from the BBC report on Northern Ireland Secretary of State Shaun Woodward’s speech at Queen’s University today. The obvious one is his message to the recently de-specified UVF and, undoubtedly, to Jackie McDonald’s UDA about the Independent International Body on Decommissioning. “Take very careful note of what I’m saying, these structures are now time-limited, they are not here forever,” he said. “This train is leaving the station, the question is whether these organisations are …
The Guardian reports that a teenager may face prosecution after police confiscated a placard describing Scientology as “a dangerous cult” – image here – at a recent demonstration in London. The dangerous cult’s charm offensive in London has raised concerns before.. and this year’s Londonderry’s Jazz Festival has also seen recruitment efforts. At which point I was going to repost the World in Action 1967 documentary featuring L Ron Hubbard, founder of the cult.. but that particular video appears to …
In the Independent David McKittrick notes the competing republican claims to the image of Bobby Sands, and an Observer report last week added comments from Richard O’Rawe and Jeffrey Donaldson. Steve McQueen, the director of Hunger, premiered at Cannes Film Festival on Thursday, is firm in his view in this Reuters report McQueen said the only controversy surrounding “Hunger” was one created by the media. “If anyone comes out of there thinking that I’m thinking that Bobby Sands is a …
The BBC are reporting that 27-year-old man is critically ill after he was beaten by at least eight masked men in a paramilitary-style attack in the Gobnascale area of Londonderry last night. The man tried to escape but they chased him and beat him with baseball bats. He suffered two broken legs and fractures to his skull and face and is in a critical condition in the Royal Victoria Hospital in Belfast. The PSNI are investigating the incident and have …
The trial of Terence Davison, who is charged with the murder of Robert McCartney in January 2005, along with two other men charged with affray in connection to the murder, was postponed yesterday when a defence barrister was “unavoidably delayed at another trial.” Today it was postponed indefinitely “due to legal reasons.” From the Irish Times report Terence Malachy Davison, 51, was due to face the charge of killing the father-of-two outside a Belfast bar more than 3 years ago. …
As the BBC reports here, the Assembly has finally been allowed to start the debate on the Victims Commission Bill and assorted amendments. Sinn Féin’s Francie Molloy futures that “It will ensure a strong and effective Victims Commission..” Mark Devenport rounds up the amendments under discussion. The proposals would give the First and Deputy First Ministers the option to appoint a Chief Commissioner, without requiring them to do so. The commission could decide some matters by a majority vote, but …
Out-going Taoiseach Bertie Ahern’s declaration to the US Congress yesterday, live-blogged by Shane, that “Ireland is at peace” [in our time? – Ed] could be viewed as a declaration of the end of US political involvement here.. Maybe.. Mary Alice Clancy emailed a link to a March 2008 article by her Phd thesis examiner, Brendan Simms, of the Centre of International Studies at the University of Cambridge and co-President of the Henry Jackson Society, which sketches out the international dimension, …
With contrary reports of the IMC assessment of the murder of Paul Quinn it’s worthwhile looking at the actual 18th Independent Monitoring Commission’s Report Adds Another report here And NI Secretary of State, Shaun Woodward, MP, “welcomes latest assessment by IMC” 4.2 Within these constraints, our assessment of the incident is as follows: – We think that the attack on Paul Quinn was planned and carried out by local people and that it arose from local disputes. Whatever the immediate …
Here’s Stormont Live’s coverage of the launch of the Strategic Review of Parading in Northern Irleand’s interim report yesterday. There are other reactions and reports here. Pete Baker
The Independent Monitoring Commission’s 18th report is with the UK and Irish governments and is due to be published tomorrow. The Irish Times reports [subs req] that they are “expected to publicly state that the IRA leadership did not sanction the murder of Paul Quinn from Cullyhanna in south Armagh last October.” There’s a short report here. The reports also note that The IMC, however, will state that current and former members of the IRA from the south Armagh area …
I had asked, when noting the advance notice of the Strategic Review of Parading in Northern Ireland report, who will decide whether a parade [all public assemblies of 15 people or more – Ed] is to be considered “contentious”? If this BBC report is accurate, it would appear that no-one will. Where possible, any objections will be dealt with by direct contact between the organisers and the objectors. If this is not possible and objections remain unresolved, the local council …
As several reports point out, there have been confrontations in east Belfast between rival groups on consecutive nights. On both ocassions those ubiquitous community representatives, or “community leaders” according to the RTÉ report, intervened. Would they be the same community leaders referred to here? Or the ones pictured here? Still, it’s just about maintaining a sense of law and order in their communities.. Pete Baker
When out-going Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, complained of a “growing hesitation” to reference religious belief in public debate I argued that “the only issue of matter is whether any argument put forward is rational.” As this recent case proves supernatural beliefs can conflict with necessary medical treatment. And there is an attempt to influence public policy in this area. As this Irish Times report notes, the author of Health Research Board-funded report from Trinity College Dublin’s Irish School of Ecumenics – …
Despite the pre-broadcast coverage, Peter Taylor’s Age of Terror programme on the Enniskillen bombing didn’t uncover much more material than most already knew. And yet the fact that the deputy First Minister felt the need to issue a denial of the claims made in the programme in advance of the broadcast was in itself revealing. As Malachi O’Doherty asks here All Taylor really told us about McGuinness is that he was a top Provo. It is what we knew. Logically …
In the current dispensation the reports of the apology from the Sunday World to Freddie Scappaticci – who took action against the paper following a report which referred to his current living arrangements and medical condition, which was covered by an injunction he secured amid fears that his life could be under threat in the aftermath of the murder of Denis Donaldson – and their payment of his legal fees of £30,000 and a £10,000 donation to a charity are …
The Strategic Review of Parading in Northern Ireland chaired by Paddy Ashdown was announced a year ago and, although it appears that their report isn’t due for publication until next week, some details are already being reported. It is thought it favours splitting the processes of mediation and ruling when a dispute cannot be resolved. March organisers will be asked to give notice to their local district council 35 days before their planned event. If mediation failed, the dispute would …
I had previously asked, given that Gerry Adams is a fan of the middle-class would-be permanent revolutionary, whether it was still chic to worship ‘Che’ in Sinn Féin in this new ‘indigenous’ deal. The Belfast Telegraph reports that we may, or may not, find out. A spokesman for the west Belfast MP said: “Gerry was one of a range of people interviewed for this documentary. The interview took place in London and he was asked when he first saw the …
With the Office of the First and deputy First Ministers reportedly “examining the Alliance Party amendments in detail”, we’ll have to wait to see whether the actual legislation creating a Victims Commission is fast-tracked through the Assembly next week. In the meantime, and in the absence of the report from the Eames/Bradley group, the Police Ombudsman, Al Hutchison, has been revisiting his previous comments – as Policing Oversight Commissioner – in an interview in the Irish News [subs req for …
For some reason the BBC report on the ongoing trial of one of those arrested at the Alexandra Bar, the one man who denies membership of the UDA, is currently titled – UDA gang ‘planned Blaze of Glory’. But the only apparent reference to a ‘Blaze of Glory’ is the use of the Bon Jovi track. And, rather than the “this does not spell the end for the UDA”, the salient point from the recovered statement would seem to be …
