Mr Martin McGuinness has accused unionists of manufacturing a crisis in the peace process by claiming republicans are responsible for sectarian street violence.
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Martin McGuinness MLA: "In my opinion the only real crisis exists within unionism"
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The Sinn Féin MP said comments by a senior police officer that loyalist paramilitaries were orchestrating most of the violence in flashpoint areas had undermined attempts by anti-Agreement unionists to spark a fresh crisis.
"This in fact is a vindication of what Sinn Féin have been saying and indeed many of the residents in areas like north Belfast and east Belfast have been saying over the course of the summer," he said.
Belfast police commander Mr Alan McQuillan confirmed at yesterday's meeting of the Policing Board a "significant" majority of attacks had come from loyalists".
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Mr McGuinness accused those who have called a meeting of the UUP Ruling Council to discuss remaining in government with Sinn Féin of deliberately setting out to collapse the power-sharing institutions. "In my opinion the only real crisis exists within unionism and that is something that unionism needs to deal with," Mr McGuinness said.
Mr McGuinness said: "Of course there have been, I think, idiots from within the nationalist republican community who have gone out and attacked Protestant schools and churches.
"I condone none of that. I tell all these people that they should catch themselves on, they should recognise that retaliating against the vast bulk of attacks coming from loyalists is the road to nowhere for all of us".
PA