Disorder as tributes pour in for Margaret Thatcher

THE DUP has called for an emergency meeting with the PSNI following scenes of disorder in the city on Monday night as news filtered through of the death of former Prime Minister, Baroness Margaret Thatcher.
Margaret Thatcher visits Desmonds Factory in 1998. She is pictured with Denis Desmond.Margaret Thatcher visits Desmonds Factory in 1998. She is pictured with Denis Desmond.
Margaret Thatcher visits Desmonds Factory in 1998. She is pictured with Denis Desmond.

Infuriated by scenes of triumphalism, offensive chanting and jubilant gloating by hardline Republicans, which included a noisy cavalcade of cars touring the Cityside and a hail of missiles and glass raining down on the historic City Walls, former Mayor Alderman Maurice Devenney, and Alderman Gary Middleton, have demanded face-to-face talks with high ranking police to discuss the perceived disparity in policing between the Protestant and Catholic communities in the city.

Speaking on Monday evening after witnessing the disorder that took place in the Bogside, Alderman Middleton said he has been to The Fountain on Monday.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“Following the disgraceful scenes in the Bogside this evening, we took a walk around the walls which were covered with bricks and glass from the Verbal Arts centre to the Memorial Hall. The same republicans have painted the walls with vile graffiti, carried out an illegal parade in the Bogside and proceeded with an entourage of cars up around the diamond waving 32 Country Sovereignty Movement flags and tricolours,” he said.

“This is part of an ongoing attempt to intimidate residents of the Fountain and Protestants West Bank of the city. All of this to ‘celebrate’ a death of another human being. It is absolutely disgusting,” Mr Middleton said.

Repulsed by Monday night’s disorder, Mr Devenney said: “This was totally offensive. UP to 20 cars, bearing tricolours and other flags were driven round the Bogside and through the town and round The Diamond. My question is now was this allowed to happen? Where were the PSNI? The Walls came under sustained attack with bricks and bottles; where were the police? I can assure everyone that the DUP will have a meeting with senior police to discuss this issue and to highlight the handling of these incidents.

“It is difficult not to compare what happened on Monday night with the mmanner in which the PSNI policed the Loyalist protests earlier in the year. I witnessed a peaceful protest of about 30 people with two dozen police walking about, but where were the police on Monday? There is a perception within the Unionist communities that the police is highly policing the Protestant communities compared to the manner in which they police protests in the Catholic communities, and we will be raising this issue with the police in the coming days, because I demand a meeting with senior police,” Mr Devenney said.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Paying tribute to Baroness Thatcher, Mr Devenney said she had lived “a very colourful political life”, adding: “She really was the Iron Lady. Looking back during the serious times here in Northern Ireland with the hunger strike and the many acts of terrorism that took place, she stood up against terrorism and she has to be commended for the role she played in doing that. She did not bow down to terrorism.

“From a Unionist perspective, the only negative comment we would have was with her singing the Anglo Irish Agreement, but that said she was the greatest leader the UK has ever seen since Churchill,” he said.

UUP Alderman Mary Hamilton, said that while she did not agree with Baroness Thatcher signing the Anglo Irish Agreement.

, nevertheless, she had proved that it was possible for women to rise through the ranks and hold important positions in society: “It is notable that not only was she the UK’s first lady Prime Minister, but she also won three general elections back to back, and that is a record that should be admired.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

“There is much that I could say about some of the political decisions made by Baroness Thatcher, but it is nether the time nor the place given that her funeral will not take place for another week. The one thing I will say is that she was a great politician and stood up to terrorism at home and abroad

Meanwhile, SDLP Foyle MP Mark Durkan criticised Monday night’s “distasteful” celebrations by dissident republicans at Free Derry Corner.

“There is no doubt that Margaret Thatcher had a controversial impact on political life here and divided opinion. However, I don’t think anyone’s death is a matter for celebration and rejoicing. It is a matter of standards and decency,” he said, continuing: “I think it is cynical and offensive to celebrate anyone’s death no matter how disagreeable anyone finds her policies. Distasteful demonstrations of that sort of nature ask as many questions about the attitude of those behind them as they do of those whose passing they are celebrating”.