Forty-six protesters, several of them former IRA prisoners, demonstrated outside Derry's courthouse yesterday during a visit by the British Lord Chancellor, Lord Irvine of Lairg. Lord Irvine officially reopened the restored courthouse, which was severely damaged in a 300 lb IRA car bomb attack nine years ago.
Security around the courthouse, which cost £7 million pounds sterling to refurbish, was stepped up earlier this week when traffic restrictions were imposed along Bishop Street which leads to the building.
The placard-carrying protesters arrived just as Lord Irvine was performing the opening ceremony. Their view of the ceremony was cut off, however, when an RUC sergeant closed the security doors during Lord Irvine's brief speech.