Our visit to the East Belfaster Community Short Strand on August,12th 2002
Impressions and reports of our visit
The residents plead for help. They ask journalists, politicians and human rights activists
to visit the area and make the truth known internationally.
They have created a website with a list of all attacks from May, 11th 2002 until
August, 6th 2002, attacks are still going on:
Website of the Short Strand residents
Since May 2002 the small irish/catholic community Short Strand, which is surrounded
by an overwhelming majority of unionists/loyalists in East Belfast, experiences
the worst attacks ever.
Attacks with pipe bombs, petrol bombs, firework, bricks around the clock, day by day,
night by night. Shops, doctors, post office, social services are situated not far away
from the Short Strand on the loyalist side. They became a no-go area for the Short Strand
residents. The loyalist terror groups UVF and UDA have threatened shop owner not to serve
catholics. Residents, who try to use the shops or services, are singled out by loyalist mob
and have to fear for their lives.
Going shopping into the city center of Belfast would be a nice walk from the Short Strand
area, yet this became a dangerous and impossible untertaking, because loyalists are
attacking people going in or out.
The police doesn't stop the attacks but act violently against the Short Strand residents
with raids and plastic bullets.
The residents plead for help. They ask journalists, politicians and human rights activists
to visit the area and make the truth known internationally.
We visited the area on August, 12th 2002. We are five women from Germany, three of us are
members of the german Ireland solidarity.
Brigitte Priebe and Uschi Grandel wrote reports on their impressions of the visit:
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Report by Brigitte Priebe, Köln (German language only)
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Report by Uschi Grandel, Schierling (German language only)
We are glad to help with contacts or further information.
Short Strand mural:
"You don't have to believe we're THIS CRAZY - I mean - just because you've READ it somewhere ..."
