Ulster burns after outrage at funeral

Press, 18 March 1988, Page 1

Ulster burns after outrage at funeral

NZPA-Reuter j i Belfast Gangs of youths set cars ablaze and houses were firebombed in Belfast during a violent night sparked by a grenade and gun attack yesterday on mourners at an Irish Republican Army funeral. II

Another burial set for today; aroused fears of St Patrick’s Day I revenge killings. Three persons died and morei than 60 people were wounded in; yesterday’s attack at Milltown I Cemetery. . A pregnant woman and a boy, aged 10,. were among four seriously hurt. I The attacker was pulled by: police from irate mourners who chased him and beat him with: wrenches after he fled towards al white van on the Ml motorway! near the cemetery. Police said they were holding Michael Stone, a Protestant, who is alleged to have mounted the funeral attack, and an accept-, plice. They can be held without: charge for seven days. Police: gave no other details on Stone and his alleged-accomplice. Firebombers late yesterday set five houses ablaze in Protestant north Belfast in an apparent act of retaliation for the cemetery attack. Il II i. . ' | A press officer at Belfast police headquarters said the five houses were gutted and that it appeared to be a sectarian at- ; tack. , q If He said a woman was treated in hospital for smoke inhalation but that nobody else was ref ported hurt. Police said that sporadic Catholic rioting which erupted across Ulster after the funeral attack continued into the early hours of today. Police said Catholic gangs stole a total of 24 vehicles and set many of them ablaze. They said gangs of rioters bombarded security forces with; petrol bombs, stones and acid bombs but no injuries were reported.

Police and British troops had stayed clear of the funerals yesterday to avoid confrontation but now must decide whether to turn out in force at the burial of an I.R.A. sniper, Kevin' McCracken, shot dead by the Army on Monday. Explosions and gunfire rocked the Milltown cemetery as the coffins of Mairead Farrell, Daniel McCann and Sean Savage — all killed by British troops in Gibraltar on March 6 — were being lowered into the grave. Screaming mourners dived for cover behind tombstones while television cameras recorded the mayhem. Onlookers said that a man in blue overalls crept up on the burial ceremony . from the nearby motorway and threw grenades. He also fired into the crowd with an automatic pistol which he reloaded twice. Sinn Fein officials appealed for calm as the dead and wounded fell at the graveside and terrified mourners dived for cover. Amid the pandemonium, at least two more explosions ripped through the cemetery. A youth at the funeral said the gunman was “a burly guy, about 35 years old, with a beard. He started throwing blast grenades and firing a gun.” “As he reloaded, he hurled blast bombs into the air. He just kept on firing and everyone fell to the ground. He was shooting into the moving crowd.” The Irish and British Governments, church leaders and Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Fein, the I.R.A.’s political wing, immediately appealed for calm in the province. Aides to the British Prime

Minister, Mrs Thatcher, said she was “shocked and appalled” when told of the attack. I The Irish Prime Minister, Mr Haughey, said, “I have no doubt that this desecration of funeral I ceremonies will appial all decent Irish men and women of every ’ political belief.” As darkness fell, lyouths gathered in Catholic areas near the ! heart of Belfast, huijling missiles ; and setting stolen vehicles on fire before being dispersed by troops firing plastic bullets. The U.D.A., Northern Ireland’s; largest Protestant para-military organisation, and its illegal Ulster Freedom Fighters I (U.F.F.) militia denied involve-: ment in the Milltown attack. I Earlier this week the U.D.A.: had promised it would step up its military activities against the I.R.A. The Royal Ulster Constabulary (R.U.C-.) rejected as an “absolute lie” claims by Adams that the attackers were in collusion with British forces and police. Adams charged that the attackers would have known there would be no British Army or police presence at the funeral. Police and British! troops had deliberately stayed clear of the funeral to avoid the risk of clashes with I.R.aJ supporters after a priest told a funeral Mass for McCann and Savlage that the. three guerrillas had been mur-! dered. ! Late yesterday, a man claiming to be from the Protestant Action Force, whici has links with the U.F.F., called the British Broadcasting Corporation in Belfast claiming his grpup was responsible ;for the attack. Pictures, palge 8