Fears of the Past Envelope Northern Ireland
There were some who immediately dove into the trenches of old. The tabloid Sun wrote "if the Mafia were handed power in New York, would anyone expect them to go straight?" Then, they added the kicker: "It's the same with the IRA and Northern Ireland."
But the overwhelming reaction to the recent killings in Northern Ireland has been one of solidarity between the country's erstwhile bitter rivals. On Tuesday evening, the leaders of Northern Ireland's coalition, First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness -- whose Sinn Fein party represents the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland -- stood shoulder to shoulder with the Police Commander Hugh Orde. The perpetrators, said McGuiness, himself a former commander in the Irish Republican Army, "are traitors to the island of Ireland." He also called on Catholics to break their vow of secrecy and pass on tips to the police in an effort to prevent a new wave of sectarian violence.
The unity displayed on Tuesday evening is to be repeated on the streets of Northern Ireland on Wednesday. Thousands are expected to join peace vigils in Belfast and other cities across the country. The leaders of both the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations in Northern Ireland have called on the community to denounce the killers.
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But the overwhelming reaction to the recent killings in Northern Ireland has been one of solidarity between the country's erstwhile bitter rivals. On Tuesday evening, the leaders of Northern Ireland's coalition, First Minister Peter Robinson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuiness -- whose Sinn Fein party represents the Catholic minority in Northern Ireland -- stood shoulder to shoulder with the Police Commander Hugh Orde. The perpetrators, said McGuiness, himself a former commander in the Irish Republican Army, "are traitors to the island of Ireland." He also called on Catholics to break their vow of secrecy and pass on tips to the police in an effort to prevent a new wave of sectarian violence.
The unity displayed on Tuesday evening is to be repeated on the streets of Northern Ireland on Wednesday. Thousands are expected to join peace vigils in Belfast and other cities across the country. The leaders of both the Catholic Church and the Protestant denominations in Northern Ireland have called on the community to denounce the killers.