Andersontown News, September 6, 2002 - http://www.irelandclick.com/
STRAND 'UNDER CURFEW'
(South Belfast News)
Angry Short Strand residents have accused the British Army of placing their
area under a military curfew.
For the past 10 days members of both the army and PSNI have been maintaining
a 24-hour security presence in the East Belfast estate.
However, furious locals claim both groups have used this as an opportunity
to take down car registrations and to monitor the movements of people from
the area - an allegation denied by both the PSNI and British Army.
Short Strand residents have also demanded to know why the British Army and
PSNI have swamped the Short Strand with military personnel when the majority
of attacks which have taken place in East Belfast have been launched from
Cluan Place - a fact acknowledged this week by Assistant Chief Constable
Alan McQuillan.
Locals used Secretary of State John Reid’s Wednesday visit to the area as a
chance to put their questions to him on a face-to-face basis.
John Reid was told in no uncertain terms by residents of the Clandeboye
district that they were a community under siege.
The Secretary of State was shown evidence of recent loyalist attacks during
his walkabout tour with community leaders.
And he met with some of the Clandeboye residents whose homes had been
wrecked during recent rioting.
Prior to his visit to the Short Strand John Reid had visited the loyalist
end of East Belfast interfaces.
The past week has been the quietest seven days in East Belfast since the
beginning of May. The PSNI’s blockade of Cluan Place has resulted in a sharp
fall in rioting.
Despite this though the question on everybody’s lips is why didn’t they do
it sooner.
“Three months of rioting could have been avoided had the PSNI adopted this
tactic in May,” said Sinn Fein Short Strand councillor Joe O’Donnell.
“Why didn’t they do this before scores of Catholic homes were destroyed?” he
asked.
A spokesman for the PSNI rejected Joe O’Donnell’s questions saying they had
policed East Belfast’s interfaces in as impartial a manner as possible.
Journalist: Staff Reporter