DERRY

The RUC converged on Ballymagroarty on Thursday the 24th February where they proceeded to goad and attack the young people of the estate. At least one child was injured during this RUC aggression; five were arrested, all of those arrested were of school going age.

The RUC attempted to justify their actions by saying that they had come under attack.

IRSP representative John Hogan challenged the RUC version of events - the RUC has a persistent and long term history of provoking nationalist working class youths. This approach by the RUC has two aims, harrassment and persecution of nationalist youth and criminalising young people making their opportunities for employment etc near impossible in a state steeped in sectarianism and discrimination.

NO LICENSE - NO CAR!

TV license inspectors in Derry have been preying on the poorest sections of our society, the elderly and unemployed.

IRSP representative Frankie Fox has called for free TV licenses to be issued to the most vulnerable members of our society. Television for many in deprived communities is not a luxury but a very real necessity for people imprisoned in their own homes by poverty and discrimination.

The issue has been highlighted recently when a license inspectors' car was attacked by an angry community in the city.

CHILDREN ENDANGERED BY CARELESS STORAGE OF SEWER PIPES

The IRSP in the Galliagh area are becoming increasingly concerned for the safety of local children in Galliagh Park. This concern arises from a number of sewer/water pipes that have been discarded in the area.

IRSP representative Jim Robinson said, "Children being children, these pipes offer an adventure play area for them. They are ignorant of the dangers of these pipes. For the contractor to dump these pipes on one of the few green areas on the estate is irresponsible in the extreme. We are calling for them to be removed or stored safely until they are required.

BELFAST

Belfast city councillors, well known for their interest and concern in the local communities, had an opportunity to meet and discuss with the Manor Street community the forthcoming community centre, its running costs and impact on the local community.

The lower Cliftonville ranks as Belfast's unemployment blackspot and one would think that the councillors representing north Belfast would take the time to meet community representatives.

This is not the case - of the six councillors elected to represent the Oldpark (3 Sinn Fein, 1 SDLP, 1 PUP and one Official Unionist) invited to the meeting, one councillor, Bobby Lavery, attended.

One could be forgiven for thinking that if the meeting was about sectarian marches or the St. Patrick's day carnival or there was an election around the corner the local community would have been beating councillors away from the door!

"MAD DOG" IN PUP-LAND

UVF commander and PUP assembly man Billy Hutchinson has been at it again. Billy, well-known for seeing phantom INLA men stalking his every move, has said that he has been told by the RUC that he is under threat from the INLA. Commenting on the imaginary threat, the IRSP's Fra Halligan said "Given that the INLA ceasefire of August 1998 is total and absolute, a fact that the Irish government and respected individuals have clearly recognised and publically acknowledged, this outburst from Hutchinson is clearly nothing more than a cheap publicity stunt. It will not go unnoticed by the nationalist community that these bogus claims from a loyalist paramilitary come amid the ongoing loyalist terror campaign".

GRAYMOUNT ATTACKS

Another nationalist home has come under attack from Loyalists in the Graymount area of North Belfast. An improvised grenade was thrown at the back of the house were it exploded harmlessly in the garden. The RUC tried to minimise the danger of the attack by saying it was made from a firework. We all know that fireworks can't make bombs, that's why they were banned for 25 years.

FREE SMOKE ALARMS

Following a series of deaths in house fires since the beginning of the year the IRSP is calling for free smoke alarms to be supplied to the elderly, unemployed and the disabled.

Belfast IRSP representative Jimmy Bradley said, "After each fire tragedy the Fire Brigade emphasised the importance of fire alarms in saving lives. Whilst for working people buying and fitting fire alarms may not represent a major buy, for those existing on benefits two or three fire alarms represents a substantial amount of money out of what they need to live on each week."

Whilst fire itself is indiscriminate and does not recognise class, the working class remain the people most likely not to have fire alarms fitted.

It is a matter of urgency that the state supply free fire alarms as soon as possible for those families unable to afford them.

MURDER OF ROSEMARY NELSON

The IRSP believe that the murder of human rights lawyer Rosemary Nelson in Lurgan by loyalists is part of the ongoing campaign to intimidate the nationalist working class.

IRSP representative Paul Little is calling for an independent inquiry into the murder and the role of the British security forces. He said, "Local residents have reported that security force activity in the Lurgan area has been extremely high in recent days. There are direct parallels with the murder of fellow human rights lawyer Pat Finacune. Both lawyers were involved in high profile cases highlighting human rights abuses by the British government."

In conclusion the IRSP representative said, "Whilst our so-called political representatives engage themselves in another junket in America supposedly to try and sort out the contrived political crisis over decommissiong, the real crisis is happening here and now and it is the ongoing loyalist campaign of murder, intimidation and forced evictions.

All those involved in the Good Friday Agreement should take a long hard look at their actions, or lack of action."

CATHOLIC PRIMARY SCHOOL CHILDREN INTIMIDATED FROM OLD PARK LIBRARY

On Friday afternoon the 19th of February a group of Catholic primary school children were intimidated at the Oldpark Library on the Oldpark Road by loyalist youths.

The children, some as young as five, who came from the Manor Street After Schools Project, were accompanied by two youth workers.

The children and workers had to flee from the library and run the length of the Lower Oldpark Road into the safety of Rosapenna Street.

IRSP representative for the area and local community worker Paul Little said, "This type of incident is all too common in North Belfast - it represents the marginalisation and discrimination nationalists have to contend with every day.

As was predicted the price that nationalists, including a new generation of children, are having to accept under the "Good Friday Agreement" is that of permanent second class citizens.

No British, Irish or local politician has spoken out on this incident. No newspaper, either nationalist or unionist, covered the attack.

Why?

They don't care, for all their fancy words about peace, democracy, equality and a new future for our young people are just that - empty words from an empty agreement".

COMMUNITY OPPOSE POST-OFFICE CLOSURE

Lower Cavehill Road community groups are opposing plans by Post Office Counters LTD to close the area's only Post Office at Fortwilliam shops.

Community leaders in the area are highlighting the severe problems that will be faced by the elderly, single parents and the disabled if the local post office is located out of the local community. Post Office Counters are suggesting that Cavehill and Glandore residents use the Duncalm Street P.O. This Post Office is already serving a large area of the New Lodge, Newington and Lower Cliftonville and has large queues outside it on a daily basis.

A delegation of community workers, local businesses and political representatives are meeting with Post Office Counters LTD in an attempt to keep the local office open.

The IRSP support the community's campaign to save the local Post Office.

PROJECT UNDER THREAT

Theonly community development project in North Belfast that serves both the nationalist and Unionist communities is under threat of closure.

Making Belfast Work, a department of the British Department of the Environment, is ready to withdraw funding for the project.

The clsure of the CDC would leave a real deficit in support for inter-community projects in north Belfast.

The CDC has worked for 25 years in some of Belfast's most divided communities. Its first offices were in Alliance Avenue which formed the interface between Ardoyne and the loyalist Glenbryn. It then spent a short time on the Antrim Road before moving to its present premises on the Cliftonville Road. Though situated in the nationalist Cliftonville area it has continued to provide a service to the Unionist community. The IRSP whilst we would not support everything the CDC has been involved in over 25 years, it does provide a service to local communities that cannot be provided by any other organisation. The IRSP believe the only community development project in North Belfast thath serves both nationalist and Unionist communities is under threat of closure.