People can only stand so much pressure before breaking point
arrives. That, quite simply, is what happened at Glenbryn
in North Belfast and it explains why things reached the dreadful
point where protest over a legitimate grievance was destroyed
in the eyes of the civilised world when outside elements threw
a bomb which exploded close to children of Holy Cross Primary
School being escorted by police to their school.
No matter how legitimate an issue might be, it does not justify
the use of force, especially when small children are in the
firing line, ever if they are not the target for those throwing
the blast or pipe bomb.
Those who threw this nefarious ojbect did nothing at all
to advance the cause of the Glenbryn folk or indeed of Ulster
Protestants. It has to be condemned without reservation, and
thankfully the protest since has been largely peaceful and
dignified, although the harm has been done and the world had
the opportunity of condemning Northern Ireland Protestants
and loyalists.
How did things reach such a terrible stage in this part of
North Belfast? It is absolutely vital that the Protestant
case is put and that the media is presented with the facts,
if there is not to be a repeat - or repeats of what happened.
Sadly, as one Glenbryn resident declared afterwards, the
republicans have once again beaten unionists and loyalists
hands down in the propaganda game and the media has been fed
a one-sided story. Loyalist frustration was understandable,
especially as during that terrible week the one fatality in
North Belfast was a young Protestant lad killed in the Whitewell
area and his death was hardly even mentioned in the cross-channel
media.
The Glenbryn situation, like so many other issues in Northern
Ireland, has been boiling over for months - indeed years -
and few outside the area have really wanted to know.
Glenbryn, like the Park Road-King Street enclave at the bottom
of Garvaghy Road, or the Fountain in Londonderry, is the last
Protestant presence in what was once a predominately Protestant
area.
As recently as the 1960s Ardoyne estate of which Glenbryn
forms part, was at least 50-50, but all that changed with
the situation after internment in 1971 when hundreds of Protestant
families fled lower Ardoyne as Farrington Gardens burned.
Since then there has been a steady increase in the Roman
Catholic population and their territory had expanded. The
Protestant area of Glenbryn which includes Hesketh, Wheatfield
and Alliance, has suffered from poor housing and a steady
decline in population.
Constant attacks by republicans near the inadequate peace-line,
and the reduction of rows of houses to empty hulks has demoralised
the small Protestant population remaining in Glenbryn.
However, there was real hope earlier this year for the Glenbryn
population by the announcement that the estate was to share
in the large financial rescue package of the Government aimed
at improving housing in North Belfast. The prospect of gleaming
new houses and the ability to attract young families lifted
morale in Glenbryn and gave promise of much better times to
come.
It's a sinister coincidence that at the same time as hopes
were raised for Glenbryn Protestants, attacks on their community
by large groups of republican youths and men began. Houses
were attacked, a youth was knocked off a ladder while putting
up loyalist flags, and in the run up to the Twelfth there
were more attacks culminating in an attack on Orange Lodges
returning to Ballysillan and Ligoniel from the Edenderry demonstration.
It would seem that republicans were determined to eradicate
this small Protestant enclave before new housing could materialise,
and at the same time attacks took place on adjacent Protestant
districts like Twaddell Avenue, and in other parts of North
Belfast like Limestone Road and Whitewell.
This 'ethnic cleansing' of Protestants has been an annual
event for years, and when the media have occasionally referred
to it, they merely make the point that North Belfast is becoming
more 'Green' as Protestants move to the city suburbs. That
might explain what is happening but it certainly does not
excuse it, and the bubble of Protestant anger and frustration
burst last month with serious consequences.
The Holy Cross situation must be solved peacefully, and the
situation arrived at wherby the pupils can walk to and from
their school each day with no interference - the situation
which existed all down the years until this year.
Attacks on Protestant families in Glenbryn, and in other
areas of North Belfast including Limestone Road, Whitewell
and Twaddell Avenue must stop. The Twaddell situation is particularly
distressing as most residents in this hitherto quiet avenue
are middle aged or senior citizens.
Republicans must accept the fact that Protestant families
are entitled to live in these areas without fear and to go
about their lawful business each day, such as visiting the
shops or post office, without threat or fear.
The security situation needs to be reviewed, and measures
implemented on the ground to protect the people of Glenbryn.
The residents was a new and higher peace wall and in view
of the fact that there are some 39 peace walls already existing
in Belfast, including 22 in North Belfast, that is a reasonable
request.
There needs to be more vigorous policing to protect Glenbryn
from incursions by republicans from adjacent areas, and there
needs to be a 'live and let live' attitude on the part of
all the communities. If that proves impossible, then the Government
need to act to protect the law-abiding and to remove the threat
of attack - 125 attacks this year alone on Glenbryn, according
to residents of the estate.
What has happened in North Belfast this summer should not
occur in any civilised country, and the Government needs to
be reminded of the many promises made down the years that
the people would receive the necessary protection.
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