Posted by Jim on August 8, 2013
ACC Will Kerr put on display a PSNI riot helmet which he said was dented with a ceremonial sword during violence in north Belfast
SEARCHES have been carried out on Wednesday in north and west Belfast over trouble at the Twelfth of July parade in Ardoyne.
Belfast Daily understands that one member of an Orange Order Lodge has been arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a police officer.
It is understood the arrest is connection with an attack on a PSNI riot squad officer with a ceremonial sword.
Assistant Chief Constable Will Kerr later put on show a riot helmet which he said had been dented with the ceremonial sword during the attack.
The 30-year-old man was arrested in north Belfast and is currently in custody being held on suspicion of attempted murder, riotous behaviour and possession of an offensive weapon.
Belfast Daily understands that searches have also been carried out in the Glenbryn area of the upper Ardoyne on Wednesday morning.
Police on Wednesday tried to arrest members of the Pride of Ardoyne flute band
It is understood police have been looking to arrest members of the Pride of the Ardoyne band which accompanied Orange Lodges back to north Belfast before their route home was prevented by police landrovers.
Said a source: “All but one of the band members were not at home.
“The one who was at home escaped out the back of the house.”
It is understood one band member was identified by police after he appeared on a recent BBC 3 documentary ‘Petrol Bombs and Peace’ over the parading trouble.
Hundreds of hours of footage, heli-teli images, newspaper articles and public broadcast footage are currently being studied to identify people involved in the trouble.
A special team of police officers was set up in the wake of the Ardoyne riots to identify those involved.
Posted by Jim on August 7, 2013
Sinn Fein’s Mairtin O Muilleoir told the Belfast Telegraph he was “thumped about the face” and suffered a “very bad bruise on my leg” during a “sectarian attack” at the official opening of Woodvale Park.
Nine PSNI officers sustained cuts and bruises after missiles were thrown at them and violent scuffles broke out yesterday afternoon, following a loyalist protest connected to the Parades Commission decision to ban the Orange Order from marching past the Ardyone shopfronts.
When Mr O Muilleoir arrived at the park he was the target of some heckling but went on to perform the official opening.
Police were concerned and extra officers drafted in. Video of the attack shows the concerted effort made by the violent loyalist protesters to assault the first citizen.
Police were forced to form a human shield to get him to his official car, which was also damaged in the attack.
Nine officers suffered injuries during the melee.
It is thought to be the first time the Lord Mayor of Belfast has been personally attacked and injured in the long and often turbulent history of the city.
Mr O Muilleoir (below) said: “It was a sectarian attack, I presume there’s live footage of it.
“It was reminiscent of the worst days of Belfast, but what you have to remind yourself is this was a very small group.
“There were thousands of people in the park taking part in the community fun day.”
It was a tale of two cities as earlier the Lord Mayor was on the Falls Road with senior DUP figures for the reopening of Dunville Park. There was no trouble or any protests against the unionists.
But the DUP said afterwards it had warned the Lord Mayor he would not be welcome at Woodvale.
Mr O Muilleoir said: “Earlier I had been with minister Nelson McCausland and alderman Gavin Robinson at a community day in Dunville Park. I was delighted and honoured to be at that.
“We need to realise we are going to encounter some speed bumps along the way as we continue to build Belfast.”
North Belfast area commander Chief Inspector Andy Freeburn described the violence as “appalling” and said the PSNI will identify those responsible.
He added: “This should have been a positive day about the opening of a children’s play park but instead it was marred by disorder which has left a number of our community officers injured.”
Mr O Muilleoir was examined in a Belfast hospital after the incident and then discharged so he could return to his mayoral duties handing out World Police and Fire Games medals at the Mary Peters Track in the south of the city.
Praising the PSNI’s response to the violence, he said: “I’ve been at the hospital and I’ve a very bad bruise on my leg and I’ve been thumped about the face.
“I feel more sympathy for the police officers.
“It was a violent protest, a violent attack on the police.
“I’m the first first citizen to be assaulted, that wasn’t one of the firsts I wanted to make this year, but the message has to be, I said I wanted to be the first citizen for all the people.
“I was invited to go to the Shankill, I have great respect for the people of the Shankill.
“The police advice was it was safe, because we are not going to go where the police think it isn’t safe. Therefore I was discharging my obligations as Lord Mayor.”
He added: “It’s unfortunate it overshadowed a day which is about celebrating, I suppose, the future Belfast but I’m determined I will discharge my duties as first citizen fairly, across the city and this won’t deter me.
“If violent protest and thugs were to decide where the first citizen goes and where he doesn’t it wouldn’t be a city worth living in. We’re going to build peace and we’re not going to be dragged back by anyone.
“People who wish to push us back to dark days of no-go areas are not going to succeed.
“We will prevail, the great people of this city will prevail in building peace in this city and building Belfast.”
Posted by Jim on
From the New Zealand Fire team performing the Haka to the Brazilian Ladies Volleyball team impressing on the beach – it was a truly international day at the World Police and Fire Games in Northern Ireland.
Ladies Beach Volleyball was a major attraction on Portrush’s East Strand – but while the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service put up a rookie team with huge local support, they were no match for the more experienced teams from Brazil, Russia, USA, Ukraine, Germany and Spain.
The Ultimate Fire Fighter and Toughest Competitor Alive contests continued to put competitors through their paces in Belfast.
In an event dominated by an extremely strong Brazilian firefighting team, NIRFS snatched two medals in Ultimate Fire Fighter with Stuart King winning a silver and Terence ‘Banjo’ Bannon, well known for his Mount Everest ascent, gaining a bronze.
In front of a capacity crowd at the Aurora the ‘poster boy’ of the Games Jose Gomez Milara, firefighter from Madrid, won silver in his age category adding to the two gold medals he already won in the Stair Race on Sunday.
Other highlights of the day included the Rugby 7s getting off to a great start with the New Zealand Fire team performing the Haka. PSNI over 35s won two of their three games, including a 42-10 win over Italian State Fire and are looking good for a medal on Friday.
Cricket made its debut in this year’s Games and was so enjoyed by all the teams that an additional friendly match, Team NI v The Rest of the World, was played at Stormont Pavilion. The PSNI scored 168 overs with the Rest of the World clinching a draw on the last ball.
The one-day biathlon at Ballykinlar featured 76 competitors completing a gruelling course involving three one-mile runs and pistol shooting testing fitness and accuracy.
NIFRS have won two gold medals for Team NI in Taekwondo.
Paula McAllister, NIFRS, took gold in Cross Country in Stormont Estate on Tuesday night.
Over 200 athletes have been competing in the eight-stage Toughest Competitor Alive event in Bangor.
In Soccer 11s over 35s Brasilia Military Polices’ two teams sandwiched the PSNI into silver position by winning gold and bronze.
In the basketball Division One final, Athens Fire Brigade romped home to gold against the South Australian Police ith the Irish Prison Service winning bronze.
Over 40,000 Ice Hockey spectators are now through the turnstiles at the Odyssey while another 15,000 have watched the games live online.
Wrestling was dominated by Russia and India with four place positions awarded to PSNI athletes in the 96kg and 84kg categories.
Thursday (Day 8) will see 25 events taking place – more volleyball action and Rugby 7’s with the Men’s Open gold medal final in Gaelic Football at 4pm. Bench Press/Push Pull and Toughest Competitor Alive finish at the Aurora Complex. Lawn Bowls and Ten Pin Bowling continue with three racquet sports going on at the National Badminton Centre and Belfast Boat Club
Posted by admin on August 3, 2013
ILIR calls on supporters to help the Irish community in pushing for immigration reform
By
JANE WALSH,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
The Irish Lobby for Immigration Reform (ILIR) has kick started a summer recess campaign to make sure that GOP members hear from the Irish American community on immigration debate.
This campaign is a direct response to the call from the national immigration coalition’s request that all pro immigration groups target Republican members of Congress during recess,
As part of this national campaign, ILIR attended the Continental Youth Championships (CYC) sponsored by the Gaelic Athletic Association, in Pennsylvania last weekend.
Thousands of young Irish American athletes and their families attended this four-day sporting event, with people traveling from as far afield as Indiana, Illinois, San Diego, Buffalo, New England, and Pennsylvania.
ILIR was there with an information booth, and engaged with people from nine states with GOP congress members. Each person was provided with information packs on immigration reform, and with contact information for the GOP Representative from their area.
The president of ILIR, Ciaran Staunton said Pennsylvania is one of the battleground states, with 13 GOP representatives who need to hear from the Irish and Irish American community.
“Please help us help the Irish community,” he said.
Senator John McCain, who sponsored the Senate’s immigration bill, said “I think the month of August is a very important month for voters to meet with their representatives on immigration reform.”
For more details about the ILIR’s campaign, check out and Like their Facebook page.
Posted by admin on
Supported killing of Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness on Facebook site
By
NICK BRAMHILL,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
A Belfast city councillor and former Deputy Lord Mayor has been charged with hate speech over a remark she made on Facebook which supported a loyalist massacre of senior Sinn Fein politicians.
Democratic Unionist Party member Ruth Patterson, 57, was quizzed by police in Northern Ireland after making an online comment which suggested she supported the notion of a fictional terrorist attack on an upcoming republican parade.
Patterson left the police station at around 10.20pm and was cheered by supporters. She is due to appear before Belfast Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 22 August.
A controversial web page, which has since been removed, painted a bloody scenario in which paramilitaries would attack the Tyrone IRA Volunteers Commemoration on Sunday Aug 11.
It also named Sinn Fein party president Gerry Adams and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness among the so-called ‘fatalities’.
In her contribution to the inflammatory online conversation, Patterson, a former Belfast deputy mayor, said: “We would have done a great service to Northern Ireland and the world getting rid of these evil, devious, scum like individuals.”
After the comment came to light, Patterson issued an apology, stating: she had suffered a “lapse of judgement,” before adding, “I completely withdraw this flawed Facebook morning.”
She also admitted her comment was completely incompatible with what was expected of her as an elected representative and said: “Murder and terrorism can never be justified in any circumstances.”
However, more drama followed Saturday morning when Patterson was detained by the Public Order Enquiry team over “grossly offensive communications” and other serious criminal offences. It is understood the offences are linked to intimidation and encouraging criminal acts.
The DUP criticised Patterson’s comment as “completely unacceptable” in a statement and announced it would be looking into the issue.
However, the party then issued a second statement criticising the PSNI for conducting a “sensationalist arrest” and confirming that they would be raising the matter with police chiefs.
In response to the DUP statement, a Sinn Fein spokesman said: “It’s ironic that a party who claim to be a party of law and order are criticising the PSNI for conducting an investigation.”