Bonfires and gunfire stir up ancient enmities 

THE chanting and chatter of the crowd, many of them drunk, came to an
abrupt halt. "Here they come," whispered a girl not older than 10.

Above the heads of the hardline loyalists, 100 yards from the Belfast
peace line separating the Shankill from the republican Falls, a dark
flag suddenly appeared.

The crowd parted to let through a squad of eight Ulster Volunteer
Force paramilitaries.

In single file, with a flag-bearer at the front and rear, they pulled
up in front of a blazing 50ft high bonfire, topped by the Irish
tricolour.

There had been a phone call from a loyalist "community worker"
inviting me to turn up outside a church deep in the mural-covered
estate at midnight on Thursday.

With dozens of bonfires burning - celebrating the Protestant victory
at the Battle of the Boyne in 1690 - we were led off with menacing
instructions to do precisely as told. Before long, the display began.

Sweating under black balaclavas, six of the terrorists appeared,
carrying an assortment of revolvers and a sub-machine gun.

They seemed young and nervous, but strutted proudly in their tight-
fitting black army sweaters, combat trousers and white belts.

They came to a halt and turned to face the crowd. "Volunteers, order
arms," said one.

Over the next few seconds a volley of about 20 live rounds shot into
the night sky.

One terrorist's machine gun jammed, and for a worrying moment he
tried to clear the stoppage as his weapon faced the crowd of men,
women and children.

Another order was given and, with guns now pointing in the air, they
marched off.

Across Belfast, the same so-called "display of strength" was repeated
at least seven times.

Each event would have been carefully co-ordinated, involving risk and
organisation, during a massive police and army security operation.

The decision to summon the press was a last-minute one.

It was thought that the comments by Alan McQuillan, Assistant Chief
Constable of the Police Service of Northern Ireland, that Sinn Fein
was planning a "major riot" in north Belfast, had led the loyalist
leadership to give a disconcerting reminder that their men were armed
and ready to "protect their people".

The sobering thought occurred to onlookers that these paramilitaries
are supposed to be on ceasefire.

(Daily Telegraph, London)

Thomas Harding

END