Emeute à Lurgan en Ulster – septembre 2009
Vehicles hijacked as Ulster violence continues
By David Young, Press Association
Sunday, 20 September 2009
Armed men hijacked two vehicles in Co Armagh as disturbances flared in the area for a third successive day.
The trouble continued last night despite a police crackdown on potential dissident republican violence, launched amid fears the extremists were plotting a campaign of disorder ahead of Tuesday’s arrival of Northern Ireland’s new Chief Constable, Matt Baggott.
In one of the hijacking incidents at a railway crossing in Lurgan, two men, one armed with a handgun, stopped a woman driver, told her they had strapped an explosive device to her lorry and ordered her to drive to the nearest police station.
The woman drove a short distance before stopping and calling police. An examination of the lorry found nothing suspicious.
In the other incident, five or six men – one armed with a gun and one with a knife – hijacked a man’s car at the Drumbeg roundabout in Craigavon.
The disorder first flared on Thursday night in Lurgan after the jailing of three local dissident republicans for plotting to kill police officers.
During the first night of trouble more than five vehicles were hijacked and set on fire and police reported receiving numerous reports of armed men on the streets in what they said was clearly preplanned and orchestrated violence.
On Friday the disturbances forced the closure of the rail line between Dublin and Belfast after another series of hijackings in the Lurgan/Craigavon area.
Police appealed for witnesses to come forward.
Violence As Police Step Up N Ireland Patrols
Sunday September 20, 2009
Violence has broken out in Northern Ireland for a third night after police launched an operation against dissident republicans.
Police checkpoints have been increased across Northern Ireland
Armed men hijacked a vehicle at a railway crossing in Lurgan, County Armagh, told a woman motorist they had strapped an explosive device to her car and ordered her to drive to the nearest police station.
She drove a short distance before stopping and calling the police. An examination of the car found nothing suspicious.
In another incident, five or six men – one armed with a gun and one with a knife – hijacked a man’s car in Craigavon.
The clashes started on Thursday night after three local men were jailed for plotting to kill police officers.
During the first night of trouble, more than five vehicles were hijacked and set on fire, the Police Service of Northern Ireland said.
Officers received numerous reports of armed men on the streets in what they described as pre-planned and orchestrated violence.
A tractor was used to ram the walls of an Orange Hall in Rasharkin, County Antrim, on Friday night, while a similar attack targeted another hall in Ballymoney on Saturday evening.
Police apologised for disruption
Police believe the two incidents had sectarian motives and may be linked.
Part of the rail track between Belfast and Dublin has been closed « due to civil unrest », leaving travellers to use replacement bus services.
The PSNI crackdown was launched after intelligence suggested dissident republicans want to mark the arrival of the force’s new chief constable with violence.
Matt Baggott takes over as Northern Ireland’s police chief on Tuesday, replacing Sir Hugh Orde.
The PSNI said it would be putting in place « high visibility operations over the coming days following a increase in dissident republican activity ».
A statement said: « The operation will take effect across the province utilising vehicle checkpoints and high visibility patrols. »
The force apologised to the public for the disruption of what « we believe is a necessary step to prevent those with murderous intent going about their businesses. »
Mob tries to spark riot after jailing of dissident mortar trio
By Emily Moulton
Friday, 18 September 2009
Trouble flared in Lurgan and Craigavon last night hours after three men were jailed for a dissident republican plot to kill police officers with a mortar bomb.
Gangs of masked youths hijacked and then burnt out several vehicles in the Kilwilkie, Drumbeg and Meadowbank estates in an attempt to bring people out on to the streets and lure police into the areas.
Initially it was feared tensions could escalate after a small white van was hijacked and placed on railway lines before being set alight just after 6pm.
Shortly afterwards masked youths then hijacked a lorry and set it on fire near the Drumbeg estate — just metres from the spot where Constable Stephen Carroll was shot dead by dissident republicans in March.
There were a number of reports that masked gunmen had been seen wandering the estates, although none of these could be verified.
And while the hijacking and burning of vehicles did force police to advise motorists to avoid the area and also caused disruption to rail services between Lisburn and Portadown, the gang’s attempts to create a full-scale riot and heated confrontation with police officers ultimately failed. Local SDLP MLA and Policing Board member Dolores Kelly said the violence in Lurgan and Craigavon last night was utterly futile and achieved nothing except destruction and injury.
She said the trouble had been anticipated by the police and local community following the sentencing of Damien McKenna (26), of Deans Walk, Gary Toman (24), of Drumnahoe Avenue, and Sean McConville (23), of Kilwilkie Road, yesterday.
“It was very serious and highly organised, with stockpiling of petrol since yesterday,” she said.
“There were also reports that masked men were being seen in parts of the town.
“Three young men are beginning long prison sentences to absolutely no purpose whatsoever. What they were up to was futile just as the rioting is futile. It can achieve nothing positive for the community or for any political cause. It can only achieve destruction and injury or worse, and the waste of young lives.”
Sinn Fein MLA John O’Dowd condemned last night’s violence, adding that the attempts to cause widespread rioting did nothing but harm their own communities.
“This appears to be an attempt to draw people on to the streets but thankfully it wasn’t overly successful,” he said.
“The police had been monitoring the situation and there was no confrontation between the youths and police at this stage.
“The attempts to cause rioting only harms the community in which it is taking place.”
He added that he thought the trouble appeared to be “linked to the sentencing” of the three men yesterday.
Meanwhile, police are investigating a claim that a device had been left at Palace Demesne in Armagh.
Nothing was found last night, although they have issued a warning to members of the public that in the event of noticing a suspect object in the area, they should not approach or touch it but should contact police immediately.
Second night of violence in Lurgan
19 September 2009
By Staff reporter
TROUBLE broke out in Lurgan and Craigavon for the second night running in the wake of the conviction of three men from the town for plotting to kill police using a mortar bomb.
Motorists were advised to avoid areas in Lurgan and Craigavon.
The rail line through Lurgan was also closed for a second night after a van and a car were hijacked and set on fire.
Police said they also received reports of masked and armed men on the streets.
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