AFTER 30 years of incipient civil war and ten years of gradual peace-making in Northern Ireland, forces are at work within both communities that would tip society back into sectarian conflict. Late night rioting and organised attacks by masked loyalists on Catholic homes in east Belfast have raised a frightening spectre from the past.
That these UVF-led mobs should not be allowed to re-kindle old hatreds is self-evident. How sectarian tensions can be defused and the originators of street violence neutralised is, however, a complex issue that raises difficult questions for politicians, community and church groups and for the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
Whether a single cause exists for the organised rioting is unclear. What is certain, however, is that the violence was organised and led by UVF members. A local churchman confirmed that tension has been building for months. This was reflected by an increase in loyalist flag-flying, in the painting of paramilitary murals and through agitation over traditional, contentious parades. A significant element, however, may involve investigations into unsolved loyalist murders in the aftermath of the 1994 ceasefire. It has been suggested that a number of senior UVF members may be liable to arrest and prosecution.
Complaints that loyalists have been frozen out of the political process at Stormont carry little weight. Their representatives were comprehensively rejected by the electorate on a number of occasions, as were dissident republicans. Despite that, paramilitary rumps have been unwilling to relinquish the hold they exert over their districts through intimidation and criminal activity. Stoking the fires of tribalism and sectarianism allows them to pose as local protectors.
Perhaps the most worrying aspect of this week’s violence was a willingness within both communities to sustain it. An estimated 500 people were involved in pitched battles on Monday night, including masked and latex-gloved UVF members. In spite of a heavy PSNI presence, several hundred rioters, including republican gunmen, turned out again on Tuesday. That pattern of behaviour has the capacity to set a violent and destructive agenda for the upcoming marching season. And there is little doubt that disaffected republicans will, once again, seize the opportunity to challenge the established order.
During the past two years, dissident republicans orchestrated extensive rioting at Ardoyne, in Belfast, following the July 12th parade. Trouble-makers were bussed in from outside the area and, on the last occasion, rioting continued for three days. There was considerable destruction of property and the police came under fire. Clear parallels exist between the actions of republican and loyalist paramilitaries as they foment violence in order to recruit young members and advance their agendas. To negate their influence, community interests must be strengthened and local developments encouraged. A reformed PSNI represents their most potent challenge. There can be no return to the old days.