Hussey voices disgust at those behind ‘orchestrated’ violence in Dublin
Ulster Unionist West Tyrone assembly member, Derek Hussey, has expressed his disgust at Saturday’s scenes in Dublin when republican orchestrated violence erupted resulting in untold damage to the city’s economy, injury to many police personnel and the cancellation of a legitimate protest parade by ordinary people wishing to highlight the feelings and concerns of those who have suffered death injury and trauma at the hands of militant republicanism.
Mr Hussey said: “It is obvious that those involved in Saturday’s disgraceful scenes in Dublin were well organised and intent on inflicting maximum damage and injury to anyone with a different view to their’s. Given the numbers involved, there must also be either a serious under estimation of the strength of the so-called dissident republican movement or of the numbers of disaffected within the ranks of mainstream republicanism or both.
“Given the numbers of rioters, timing of their coordinated attack and availability of weaponry, including fire bombs, this was not a spontaneous reaction but an organised exposition of republican bigotry.
“Together with others, I give praise to the Garda who suffered directly in their efforts to protect life, limb and property. The Garda Federation call for an independent inquiry into the day’s events is fitting and should be respected.
“The organisers of the rally are also deserving of commendation for the way that they were not drawn into the situation and indeed showed great responsibility in abandoning the parade element of their protest rally.
“Many in the Irish Republic, at all levels of society, appear to have been shocked by Saturday’s events in their capital city but unfortunately those of us living in Northern Ireland have endured such fascist behavior for many years from those who would claim to endorse an ‘island of equals’. Republicans have shown that they are just a capable of inflicting terror on the streets of the Irish Republic as they are and have been in Northern Ireland.”