3 September 2001

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Crisis in the peace process - Nationalists under siege

The people of Dublin will have the opportunity to hear at first hand what it is like to live in a state of siege when Sinn Fein MLA Gerry Kelly joins a number of North Belfast residents at a public meeting entitled `Crisis in the Peace Process' to be held at Liberty Hall on Wednesday the 5th of September at 7.30pm.

In the last eight months there have been over 220 loyalist attacks including more than 140 pipe and blast bomb attacks carried out by loyalists and the tragic deaths of three people. The attempted bomb attack in Ballycastle last week confirms again the disintegration of the loyalist ceasefire.

North Belfast has borne the brunt of these attacks. Loyalists in North Belfast began the summer by preventing primary school children from attending the Holy Cross Primary School in Ardoyne and today as the new school terms starts they have restarted their blockade.

Sinn Fein councillor Sean Crowe said:

``People in the South are not getting the full story. It can be difficult for some to understand the plight of nationalists or why republicans refuse to sign up to the new policing implementation plan unless they understand the reality of the situation on the ground.

``We have a community in Belfast that finds itself isolated and under almost nightly attack by loyalists. The best people to tell their story are the people themselves and we would urge everyone to attend this meeting in order to gain a genuine understanding of the problems facing these people.''

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