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The police have warned Orangemen to be on the alert for an
imminent attack by dissident republicans.
The Orange Order received a police warning this week that
"information has been received that dissident republicans
intend to carryout some form of unspecified attack on the
caretaker of an Orange Hall in Antrim."
At least four Orangemen have so far been warned by the police
about their personal security.
There are 700 Orange Halls in Ireland and more than 180 in
Co. Antrim. There has been an increase in the number of attacks
on halls in the past year and since the Troubles began, 282
halls have been targeted by arsonists.
Drew Nelson, Grand Secretary of the Orange Order, has called
on all Orangemen to be vigilant and increase their personal
security.
"We believe that dissident republicans have been responsible
for recent attacks on Orange Halls in Armagh and Tyrone.
"It now appears that this campaign has spread to Co.
Antrim and has taken a more sinister turn with a direct threat
against our members. We are extremely concerned that the police
are not treating this campaign as seriously as they should
be.
"We had a recent meeting with the Chief Constable and
there seemed to be a reluctance to accept that the attacks
on our halls were part of a campaign by an illegal organisation.
"These are ethnic attacks on our culture and identity
and it is time the authorities faced up to that fact, instead
of trying to sanitise what is really happening.
"It is very worrying that an individual has now been
targeted by dissident republicans. We have seen in the past
few days that these terrorists are capable of attacking police
officers.
Does someone have to die before the police and the government
face up to reality?"
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