Violence which erupted outside the Skainos community centre in east Belfast was “completely unacceptable”, according to NI Conservatives’ co-chair, Trevor Ringland. Trouble started outside an event called ‘Listening to Your Enemies’, which featured Brighton bomber, Patrick Magee, and Jo Berry, the daughter of Conservative MP, Sir Anthony Berry, who was murdered by the bomb.
“This violence, which included attacks on the police, as well as intimidation of people attending the talk, is to be condemned absolutely”, Trevor said. “There’s irony to a small group of so-called loyalists attempting to garner attention for themselves through violence, wrapped in a hypocritical veneer of outrage about a speaker at the event who used violent methods.”
“Someone like Patrick Magee should certainly be challenged. The Brighton bomber might say he regrets his actions, which murdered members of our political party, but he still tries to justify them and the IRA campaign of which they were a part. Reconciliation with people with such attitudes will always be difficult. However Jo Berry is an example of someone who has shown a pragmatic attitude to forgiveness, and that deserves an enormous amount of respect.”
“It should be emphasised that the trouble-makers outside this event are a tiny minority of the community in east Belfast. The Skainos project has contributed a huge amount to the area, through investment, education, culture and fostering reconciliation. It is an important part of the community and an invaluable resource for it. It is particularly deplorable that an event at Skainos was targeted.”
“People who continue to justify criminal activity during the Troubles should always be challenged, in the correct way. It is unacceptable and completely hypocritical for violence to play any part in this process and continued attacks on police by a small cohort of loyalists is absolutely disgraceful.”