Empey Challenged Over Cluan Place Remarks
East Belfast Sinn Féin Representative Deborah Devenny has challenged UUP
leader
Reg Empey to tell the full story about the events at the interface
between
the Short Strand and Cluan Place yesterday.
Ms Devenny said:
"
There were a number of incidents throughout yesterday of stone throwing
between
Cluan Place and Clandeboye in the Short Strand. It seemed that the
catalyst
for these disturbances was a party held in Cluan Place and attended
by
members of a Scottish flute band staying in Belfast for the Twelfth who
seemed
intent on trying to provoke conflict.
" Local residents and
community leaders in the Short Strand worked to ensure
that stone
throwing incidents from the nationalist side were kept to a
minimum.
"
After a number of relatively peaceful summers in this area the last thing
that
local people want is a repeat of the summer of 2003. It is my hope that
this
band has now returned to Scotland and local people can once again get
on
with their lives.
" However partisan and one sided commentary by
individuals like Reg Empey
does little to reduce tensions in this area
and only serves to wind up a
situation which has been relatively
successfully managed in recent years."
ENDS