Sherry O'Brien is an American woman who stays in Belfast for some weeks. Since three weeks she accompanies parents and pupils of the Holy Cross Primary School in Ardoyne, who still have to run a gauntlet of organized hate every day to reach the school.

Her eyewitness report describes one of the many nights of racist violence which isolated irish communities have to endure for months:  

A night of violence by loyalist gangs in Nordbelfast

- an eyewitness report -

Sherry O'Brien on September 27, 2001

There was a time, when I was young and fancy free, when I considered becoming a journalist.

I was told that journalism was a noble profession, a high calling, but not for everyone. I was told one had to be objective. Had to keep one's own politics and opinions out of the way. Just the facts ma'am, just the facts.

So I decided I could never be a journalist.

It was not the type of writing I wanted to do. I was only objective until I decided what I thought about things - then I had definite opinions. I could not watch injustice and suffering and not write about the same with anger, passion, conviction. I could not "just write the story."

I know now that "journalists" in Norn Iron are some of the best fiction writers on the planet. And most are also bald-faced liars collecting paycheques without conscience.

So let's address some of the latest collection of lies and propoganda, shall we?

First off, as many of you have undoubtedly heard, there was still more trouble in north Belfast last night.

Here's the official version of events according to BBC, Radio Ulster, ITV and UTV:

Last night, rioting broke out after a peaceful loyalist protest turned violent.

The protest was in relations to the alleged recent abduction of a man from Cambria St. He was attacked by republicans several days ago, taken to a local tavern in a nearby mill complex and tortured and beaten by several men. He was lucky to escape alive.

The protest began peacefully, with about 300 loyalists gathered on the Crumlin Road. It suddenly degenerated and turned ugly and police were attacked with blast and petrol bombs.

There were 50 live round shot at police landrovers. 125 petrol bombs thrown. 6 blast bombs and an assortment of pipe and nail bombs. 9 plastic bullets were fired. 33 RUC officers were injured and two cars were set on fire as police tried to prevent the protesters from reaching the Brookfield mill.

Got that?  Right.

Now here's what I've heard happened... The fellow "abducted" from Cambria street:

On the day in question, he and a group of other loyalist hoods had gathered outside the Brookfield Mill to enjoy their regular past-time of torturing businesses inside.

This is a regular occurrence, as I have written before.

They lob pipe bombs into the courtyard, toss fireworks over the walls, and generally threaten harass and rage. The Mill gates must often be shut and locked as a result.

When the group arrived on scene that night, the peelers were called and the front gate locked.

But, one of the braver of the thugs managed to climb the locked front gate of the mill and drop down inside. He unlocked the gate, which on this occasion had not been chained and padlocked, and opened it to allow the others with him to rush forward into the complex.

Those inside rushed from their businesses. Mill security rushed from the gate house. Hand to hand fighting broke out as the loyalists continued to lob bombs and fireworks around the courtyard before retreating.

The fellow in question was not fast enough to fuck off before he was grabbed. He took a few punches all right, but he did escape by crawling under a vehicle and staying put until the police finally arrived.

His sister was on the news decrying his abduction and "unprovoked" attack and calling for a public inquiry.

Right on. I hope you get one.

Now, to events last night:

I was on the phone with a friend who has a shop at Brookfield Mill. That was about 6:15 pm or so. I told him about the scheduled loyalist protest due to begin at 7pm and asked if he really had to stick around. I was apprehensive after our walk up to Holy Cross, just around the corner) and figured there would be trouble at the Mill as usual. Afterall, there had already been one pipe bomb attack at noon that very day.

He told me that no one was going to force him out of his own business. He had work to do.

"But, " he added, "there are two fellows here already. Just outside the front gates and we are thinking of closing them."

As he said this, I heard the crack of fireworks in the background.

"Listen, " I told him, "Its not worth it. Leave it 'till tomorrow."

"Catch yerself on," said your man, "I'm busy..."

"I can hear them at it already." I said

"Its only fireworks. There's only two of them."

And then I heard a LOUD BANG!

"THAT was not a firework." says me.

"No, " says buddy, "That was a pipe bomb."

For the next several minutes I listened by mobile phone as events unfolded at the Mill.

Security closed the gates and this time chained and padlocked them. A few more hoods appeared on the scene. I could hear my friend and the other men rushing around from corner to corner, checking for any entrance into the complex left unlocked or vulnerable. More explosions.

"Hang up, " I told my pal, "Get under cover and I'll ring you back in fifteen minutes."

"Right." says he

By 6:50 the "protesting" mob had arrived outside the front gates of Brookfield Mill.

They were NOT pushed back by the police on scene. They were NOT prevented from reaching the Mill. They were right there, outside the gates, screaming and lobbing pipe and blast bombs and fireworks into the courtyard, onto the roofs, into businesses.

By 7:30, I myself arrived on scene. So I saw all of what I'm writing here personally.

There they were, just outside the chained front gates, still screaming, still lobbing bombs and cheering. Bang, bang, Boom! An Ulster flag had been put up on the gate. Those of us inside had gathered at the rear of the mill, under cover of an archway. No one in the front businesses could access their shops. Everyone had had to leave those units and retreat to the rear of the mill. Anyone who hadn't would have been trapped between safety and open vulnerable courtyard, which was under attack from outside the gates and walls.

Local men sent gathering nationalist kids and teens out of the area. Then we all stood and watched and waited.

The crowd began to surge forward, rattling the gates, pushing forward.

"These bastards are going to try something...."one of the fellows on our side warned. We were sure they were about to break through and enter the mill courtyard. It was THEN that the security forces moved in from further up the Crumlin road.

They came forward on foot, fully-geared, with landrovers behind them and tried to force back the crowd. I have to say here that they did their best to push the mob back. And it was ugly all right. I was frightened for them. I really was.

The protesters did not go gentle into that good night.

They attacked and tried to beat the security forces . They threw blast and pipe bombs into the middle of the advancing officers. But slowly, they were forced back down the Crumlin road. They tried to come up a side street and access the mill from the side, but were unable to. There's a peaceline wall there.

My friend and I left the scene at about 8 pm. Things were still bad on the Crumlin road. We could hear more blasts as we left. Apparently things got worse as the night progressed.

My pal went into work this morning.

He says the place is full of ruc men, gathering evidence, interviewing staff and shop owners.

He says the Mill is a complete mess. The damage done by the pipe and blast bombs, incredible. Several units have been totally destroyed. A few people are packing up and moving shop. They can't stick it any more. Who the hell could?

Your man says to me, "Jesus, you should see the size of the pipe bomb behind my shop! Its immense! I can't believe the size of the thing..."

Thankfully this morning's walk to Holy Cross passed off without incident.

It is a crappy day. Pouring rain.

The usual protesters were still out. They stood in relative silence as we passed with the children and then did their usual line dance of noise as we returned. But no fireworks.

The security presense has nearly doubled yet again. This time there were three British saracens on the first street of the loyalist side. More Brits half-way up the road, lining the side streets.

North Belfast remains close to near fucking chaos.

Meanwhile, the Lord Mayor was on Radio Ulster this morning, wailing about IRA decommissioning. The balls of him!

Repeat after me - there is no such thing as a "peaceful" loyalist protest.

Unionist protest maybe.

But loyalists in north Belfast protest to intimidate, riot, injure, maim and kill.

Period. And you can quote me.