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| Derry: fear and republican vigilantes stalk new city of culture | Derry: fear and republican vigilantes stalk new city of culture |
| (7 days later) | |
| Republican vigilantes conducting a campaign of shootings and beatings have in the past year forced more than 200 young men out of Derry (video), which will become Britain's City of Culture in 2013, the Guardian can reveal. | Republican vigilantes conducting a campaign of shootings and beatings have in the past year forced more than 200 young men out of Derry (video), which will become Britain's City of Culture in 2013, the Guardian can reveal. |
| According to figures from Northern Ireland ambulance service, 40 men have been shot in "punishment" attacks by Republican Action Against Drugs in Derry since 2008. A further five people have been shot in nearby Strabane and another three — one fatally — over the border in Donegal. The numbers exclude other violent attacks carried out by RAAD [see footnote]. | According to figures from Northern Ireland ambulance service, 40 men have been shot in "punishment" attacks by Republican Action Against Drugs in Derry since 2008. A further five people have been shot in nearby Strabane and another three — one fatally — over the border in Donegal. The numbers exclude other violent attacks carried out by RAAD [see footnote]. |
| In some instances those targeted, mostly in their teens or early 20s, have been forced to turn up with a parent or relative for a pre-arranged appointment to be wounded for alleged drug dealing and other supposed crimes. | In some instances those targeted, mostly in their teens or early 20s, have been forced to turn up with a parent or relative for a pre-arranged appointment to be wounded for alleged drug dealing and other supposed crimes. |
| Martin McGuinness, the Provisional IRA ex-chief of staff turned deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, made an unprecedented move calling on the public in his native city to inform on the republican paramilitaries responsible. Figures from community organisations in Derry mediating between RAAD, the Real IRA and the victims show up to four men are being forced out of the city every week. | Martin McGuinness, the Provisional IRA ex-chief of staff turned deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, made an unprecedented move calling on the public in his native city to inform on the republican paramilitaries responsible. Figures from community organisations in Derry mediating between RAAD, the Real IRA and the victims show up to four men are being forced out of the city every week. |
| As Derry prepares to be the UK's City of Culture, the families of those under attack, including the mother of a RAAD victim who was murdered in February, say they are existing "in a city of fear". | As Derry prepares to be the UK's City of Culture, the families of those under attack, including the mother of a RAAD victim who was murdered in February, say they are existing "in a city of fear". |
| Derry-based John Lindsay, author of "No Dope Here", a new book on the violence, estimates that around 200 young men have been forced out of the area by RAAD in the past three years. "They are going to places as diverse as Belfast, Armagh, Dublin and of course England, anywhere where they have friends or relatives to flee to. And they are told if they don't leave they will be shot or even killed." | Derry-based John Lindsay, author of "No Dope Here", a new book on the violence, estimates that around 200 young men have been forced out of the area by RAAD in the past three years. "They are going to places as diverse as Belfast, Armagh, Dublin and of course England, anywhere where they have friends or relatives to flee to. And they are told if they don't leave they will be shot or even killed." |
| He said thee figures are being recorded by at least two community groups who are called into liaise between the organisations and the men. | He said thee figures are being recorded by at least two community groups who are called into liaise between the organisations and the men. |
| The vigilante campaign turned murderous last February when RAAD gunmen shot dead a former Derry boxer, Andrew Allen, 24, just across the border in a relative's house in Co Donegal. His family say hardline republicans were so affronted when he stood up to them that they decided to kill him. Allen's mother, Donna Smith, said the peace process no longer meant anything to her or her family. | The vigilante campaign turned murderous last February when RAAD gunmen shot dead a former Derry boxer, Andrew Allen, 24, just across the border in a relative's house in Co Donegal. His family say hardline republicans were so affronted when he stood up to them that they decided to kill him. Allen's mother, Donna Smith, said the peace process no longer meant anything to her or her family. |
| "How can they call this the City of Culture when they (RAAD) are going around butchering children? Something has to be done, it has to be stopped before another family is sitting in the situation that we are in: me without a son, my other children without a brother and two small children without a father." | "How can they call this the City of Culture when they (RAAD) are going around butchering children? Something has to be done, it has to be stopped before another family is sitting in the situation that we are in: me without a son, my other children without a brother and two small children without a father." |
| There have been several demonstrations against the attacks, including one last month. Just before, an 18-year-old was shot in both legs. | There have been several demonstrations against the attacks, including one last month. Just before, an 18-year-old was shot in both legs. |
| Although some RAAD members are ex-IRA members who supported the end of its "war" against Britain and declined to join the anti-peace process Real IRA, McGuinness has issued his sternest condemnation yet of the vigilante campaign. | Although some RAAD members are ex-IRA members who supported the end of its "war" against Britain and declined to join the anti-peace process Real IRA, McGuinness has issued his sternest condemnation yet of the vigilante campaign. |
| He said: "I think it is quite obvious the community is beginning to rise up against this and as a result of that it is quite clear that RAAD are about to make the biggest mistake of their lives. They are about to bite off more than they can chew because if the community in Derry turns against you then you are going absolutely nowhere. | He said: "I think it is quite obvious the community is beginning to rise up against this and as a result of that it is quite clear that RAAD are about to make the biggest mistake of their lives. They are about to bite off more than they can chew because if the community in Derry turns against you then you are going absolutely nowhere. |
| "And I think they (RAAD) do need to be going somewhere and they need to be going to prison. And I would hope as a result of the rise in opposition to the activities of RAAD that people will come forward to give all the information they have about this group." | "And I think they (RAAD) do need to be going somewhere and they need to be going to prison. And I would hope as a result of the rise in opposition to the activities of RAAD that people will come forward to give all the information they have about this group." |
| McGuinness, the Provisional IRA's second-in-command in the city on Bloody Sunday, described the republican vigilantes as "the new oppressors of the people of Derry". | McGuinness, the Provisional IRA's second-in-command in the city on Bloody Sunday, described the republican vigilantes as "the new oppressors of the people of Derry". |
| The police have vowed to prosecute those responsible. However, there have been no prosecutions for the "punishment" attacks" and no one has been charged in connection with Allen's murder. | The police have vowed to prosecute those responsible. However, there have been no prosecutions for the "punishment" attacks" and no one has been charged in connection with Allen's murder. |
| • This article was amended on 14 May 2012 and again on 5 July 2012. The original said 85 shootings had taken place in Derry over the past year, according to police figures. This was changed on 14 May to say the shootings took place over the past three years, according to figures provided by community groups researching vigilante violence. Since our article and the correction were published, information released to the BBC by the Northern Ireland ambulance service and Altnagelvin Hospital gave a lower figure of 40 men shot in paramilitary-style attacks in the Derry area since 2008. A further five people were shot during this period in nearby Strabane and another three over the border in Donegal — this includes the killing of Andrew Allen. Our article has been updated. Meanwhile, the PSNI said there had been 16 casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks (11 shootings and five assaults) in the region including Derry and Strabane in the 12 months to 31 March 2012. This statistic does not include RAAD's pipe bomb attacks or the murder in Donegal. The original article also quoted Derry-based John Lindsay, author of a new book on the violence, saying "on average there are about four young men being forced out of the city by RAAD and other vigilante groups per week"; about 200 in the past year. Mr Lindsay has told us the estimate of 200 should have been for the three-year period. However, large numbers of expulsions have been reported over short time frames: on 30 April 2012, the Irish Times reported a community worker from the Peace and Reconciliation Group saying that in the previous week alone five young men had been forced to leave Derry. | • This article was amended on 14 May 2012 and again on 5 July 2012. The original said 85 shootings had taken place in Derry over the past year, according to police figures. This was changed on 14 May to say the shootings took place over the past three years, according to figures provided by community groups researching vigilante violence. Since our article and the correction were published, information released to the BBC by the Northern Ireland ambulance service and Altnagelvin Hospital gave a lower figure of 40 men shot in paramilitary-style attacks in the Derry area since 2008. A further five people were shot during this period in nearby Strabane and another three over the border in Donegal — this includes the killing of Andrew Allen. Our article has been updated. Meanwhile, the PSNI said there had been 16 casualties as a result of paramilitary-style attacks (11 shootings and five assaults) in the region including Derry and Strabane in the 12 months to 31 March 2012. This statistic does not include RAAD's pipe bomb attacks or the murder in Donegal. The original article also quoted Derry-based John Lindsay, author of a new book on the violence, saying "on average there are about four young men being forced out of the city by RAAD and other vigilante groups per week"; about 200 in the past year. Mr Lindsay has told us the estimate of 200 should have been for the three-year period. However, large numbers of expulsions have been reported over short time frames: on 30 April 2012, the Irish Times reported a community worker from the Peace and Reconciliation Group saying that in the previous week alone five young men had been forced to leave Derry. |
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