Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald today called for political leadership in response to the attacks and acts of intimidation in Belfast, and said: “Nobody has the right to spread fear, to intimidate, to terrify innocent families.”
Speaking in the Dáil during Leaders’ Questions, she expressed her solidarity with the victim of the barbaric knife attack on man in Belfast on Monday night, hailing the bravery of those who came to his aid, and said the suspect must pay a heavy price for this brutal crime.
Ms McDonald said: “Were it not for the selfless bravery of members of the community, including Maitiu Mág Tighearnán – putting himself at risk, jumping from his car and using his son’s hurl to stop the brutal assault – the victim would surely have lost his life.”
She condemned outright the groups of masked men who burned families out of their homes last night and urged Taoiseach Micheál Martin to join her in “offering support to the victim of Monday night’s vicious assault and to take this opportunity to condemn unequivocally the appalling violence carried out against innocent families last night.”
She said: “Many of those leading this violence are the same people who will burn tricolours on top of bonfires on the twelfth of July.
“What occurred last night echoes back to the pogroms on Bombay Street in 1969 when families and children were burnt out of their homes by Loyalist mobs.
“Why? Because they were Catholic. Why? Because they were Irish.
“Many were forced to leave, fleeing for their lives to cross the border into Dundalk and beyond – refugees in their own country.
“This was inflicted on the Irish nationalist community time and again. And when we said never again.
“When we said we would never allow anyone to be treated this way again – we meant it and we meant anyone.
“Not Irish. Not any community. Nobody has the right to spread fear, to intimidate, to terrify innocent families.”
Ms McDonald’s Dáil contribution in full:
Taoiseach, we must address events in Belfast over the last forty-eight hours.
A knife attack on Monday night that was barbaric, vicious and depraved.
The stuff of nightmares.
The victim suffered horrific slash injuries to his eyes, his face and neck.
Were it not for the selfless bravery of members of the community, including Maitiu Mág Tighearnán – putting himself at risk, jumping from his car and using his son’s hurl to stop the brutal assault – the victim would surely have lost his life.
I want to acknowledge and thank the first responders on the scene and to acknowledge the swift actions of the PSNI who apprehended the suspect of this heinous crime.
He is now in custody.
And he now faces the full weight of the law.
He must pay a heavy price for this brutal crime.
My thoughts are with the victim and his family as they live through this nightmare and as he continues to be treated in hospital.
It was right that political leaders in the north came together to unequivocally condemn this attack and call for the swift delivery of justice.
The assault provoked genuine shock, disgust and anger across communities.
Taoiseach, last night groups of masked men burned families out of their homes.
Targeted and attacked innocent people.
Terrified and endangered small children.
We witnessed racist, intimidation and violence orchestrated by Loyalist and far-right thugs.
People hellbent on whipping-up hatred for their own ends.
Many of those leading this violence are the same people who will burn tricolours on top of bonfires on the twelfth of July.
What occurred last night echoes back to the pogroms on Bombay Street in 1969.
When families and children were burnt out of their homes by Loyalist mobs.
Why? Because they were Catholic.
Why? Because they were Irish.
Many were forced to leave, fleeing for their lives to cross the border into Dundalk and beyond – refugees in their own country.
This was inflicted on the Irish nationalist community time and again.
And when we said never again.
When we said we would never allow anyone to be treated this way again – we meant it and we meant anyone.
Not Irish.
Not any community.
Nobody has the right to spread fear, to intimidate, to terrify innocent families.
And we have a duty to communities.
To show political leadership.
To stand up for what is right.
The good, decent people of Belfast have lived through division and hatred before.
They wear the scars and the pain of those times.
They will not allow it to happen again.
They will not allow their peace and their better future to be robbed from them.
In the aftermath of this violence, threats have been made to the life of Belfast’s Mayor Róis Máire Donnelly.
She will not bow to these threats of violence against her.
She will continue to stand with every community in Belfast and continue to call out racist thugs.
Taoiseach, will you join me offering support to the victim of Monday night’s vicious assault and to take this opportunity to condemn unequivocally the appalling violence carried out against innocent families last night?
