SATURDAY, MARCH 1, 2003: RUC harassment was stepped up on Saturday as two RUC landrovers kept a watchful eye on the Republican Sinn Féin Belfast office.
Just across the road at the More Store an RUC Land Rover sat for well over an hour as did another only a few yards away. There is little doubt that the Occupation Forces were taking note of those going in and out of the building.
The two Land Rovers moved off but, patrolled the area for the rest of the day.
SUNDAY, MARCH 2, 2003: There were no reports of trouble although there was no let up in Occupation Force activity.
MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2003: Belfast city centre was hit by a number of bomb scares on Monday morning. Castle Court and a number of other centres were closed for a time. All scares are now believed to have been hoax's.
TUESDAY, MARCH 4, 2003: Visits to Maghaberry prison were cancelled as Republican Sinn Féin calls for segregation of Republican and loyalist prisoners were vindicated following reports that a detonator and bullets had been found in the jail.
It was also reported that bullets were put into a toaster and exploded. There was little doubt that this pointed to the vert dangers Republican Sinn Féin have warned of for some time past.
Talks which had been ongoing since March 2 at Stormont with the pro-Agreement parties, Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern were adjourned with no progress and the date for the Stormont assembly elections may be put back until May 29.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 5, 2003: The RUC/PSNI carried out a number of raids in the Oldpark/Cliftonville area on people seen as supporters of Republican Sinn Féin, whose Belfast organisation condemned the ongoing harassment of not only members but supporters also.
One of the houses raided by the British police belonged to a pensioner whose bungalow was entered by the RUC and Special Branch while the woman, who suffers from ill-health, was at Mass. The occupant of the bungalow, a cancer patient, was upset by the force of RUC men in her home. She found out about the raid when a neighbour went to the chapel to tell her.
It was reported that a machinegun had been found in Deriett Street in the Ormeau Road area of south Belfast.
A 12-year-old girl had a lucky escape when she unwittingly picked up a pipe bomb outside her home in the predominantly nationalist area of Deerfin, outside Ballymena, Co Antrim and carried it into the house. The pipe bomb was later defused by British army bomb experts.
THURSDAY, MARCH 6, 2003: It became obvious that the raids which took place the previous day in Belfast were part of the stepping-up of the British Occupation Forces harassment of Republican Sinn Féin and their supporters as the RUC named the people they were looking for.
The machine gun found in south Belfast the previous day was reported to belong to the UDA.
FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2003: There were reports of a fatal shooting near the Antrim Road. It was not known who the person shot was or what was the motive.
Emmet Lavelle (26) a teacher from Donagh, Co Fermanagh was refused bail in the High Court in Belfast.
SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 2003: The shooting of a man in the early hours of Saturday has left the people of this area of north Belfast wondering as to why the man was made a target. It is clear that the victim kept himself to himself and a reason for him being shot and killed is lost on the people of this area. The victim was named as 39-year-old David Barnes.
SUNDAY, MARCH 9, 2003: Sunday passed off without any reports of trouble.
MONDAY, MARCH 10, 2003: Monday was witness once again to PSNI/RUC harassment as a number of homes of Republican Sinn Féin members were raided. In scenes reminiscent of the 70s and 80s large numbers of RUC backed up with landrovers descended on a number of homes in north and west Belfast around 5.35am. In one case men used a sledgehammer in an attempt to break down a front door.
In all cases homes were raided; mobile phones, computers, bank statements, pictures, DVD's, photographs, clothes and other personal belongings such as address books were taken by the PNSI/RUC.
Four members of Republican Sinn Féin were arrested and taken to Lisburn barracks where they were questioned before being released around 6.30pm.
The home of a 22-year-old nationalist woman in the Ballysally estate in Coleraine, Co Derry was targeted in an arson attack by loyalists who threw a device at her front door.
TUESDAY, MARCH 11, 2003: There were reports on Tuesday of RUC/PSNI raids in the Falls Road area of west Belfast. There was, as has been the case, a heavy force of occupation forces on the ground again in north Belfast and for a time in the Lower Falls of west Belfast.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 12, 2003: There were reports on Wednesday night that a bomb was abandoned near Laganside Court buildings.
Keith Rodgers (24) from Hackballscross, Co Louth was shot dead in an altercation at a petrol station in the border vil- lage of Cullaville, Co Armagh. The military wing of the Provisionals claimed him as one of their members. Another man was injured in the melee.
THURSDAY, MARCH 13, 2003: Thursday morning was witness to tailbacks and traffic jams that were caused by Wednesday nights' bombing at the Laganside Court buildings. Throughout Thursday Brit/RUC occupation forces were once again enforce in north Belfast. Brit army armoured cars moved round the area as backup to RUC landrovers.
FRIDAY, MARCH 14, 2003: Friday was witness to minor stone throwing over the so- called peace-line at Alliance Avenue. A number of stones were thrown over from the loyalist Glen Bryn area into the back of houses in the nationalist Alliance Avenue. No one was injured and no damage was caused in the attack that only lasted a few minutes. There were further reports of trouble in the area throughout the day.
It was reported that 55 lawyers in the Six Counties have made complaints the Police Ombudsman Nuala O'Loan about police intimidation, harassment and threats from the RUC/PSNI in 2001 and 2002.
SATURDAY, MARCH 15, 2003: There were no reports of trouble on Saturday although once again occupation forces were heavy on the ground.
SUNDAY, MARCH 16, 2003: Sunday afternoon was witness to confrontation between groups of nationalists and loyalists in a number of interface areas. Fighting took place at White city at Arthur Bridge, Limestone Road. Loyalists using the cover of the Alexandra Park near the Antrim Road petrol bombed nationalist homes.
Also throughout the day attacks took place as loyalists from the Glen Bryn area kept up a constant attack on the nationalist houses in the Alliance Avenue. A number of people had a lucky escape as missiles rained down on the nationalist homes. This set the scene for the day for the people of north Belfast. In east Belfast the nationalist Short Strand was again the victim of loyalist attacks and a number of pipe bombs were thrown by loyalists into the nationalist Bryson Street. Heavy fighting once again took place into the night.
MONDAY, MARCH 17, 2003: A family of five, including a five-week-old baby, were forced to flee their home at Upper Hollybrook Heights in Glengormley on the outskirts of Belfast following an arson attack which caused their oil tank to explode. In the ensuing fire the house was completely destroyed.
St. Patrick's Day was just another day for those living on or near the interface areas as throughout the day loyalists in the Glen Bryn area once again rained missiles over the so-called peace-line down on the nationalist houses in Alliance Avenue. These attacks were again carried out into the hours of darkness; across town in East Belfast Short Strand was targeted by loyalists, and yet again loyalist pipe-bombers were in action against that small nationalist community of east Belfast.
In west Belfast there was a report of a riot that started after a St. Patrick's Day disco ended; the fighting is believed to have started when the RUC/PSNI moved into the Andersonstown area.
The RUC later claimed four of their members were injured.
A family of five, including a five-month-old baby, were forced to flee from their home in Upper Hollybrook Heights in Glengormley, outside Belfast when arsonists set fire to the oil tank at the back of their home, causing it to explode. The house was completely destroyed in the ensuing fire.
TUESDAY, MARCH 18, 2003: Tuesday once again saw the nationalist people of the Alliance Avenue coming under heavy stoning.The stoning that started around teatime saw a number of cars damaged as missiles not only fell into backyards but, also cleared the roofs of the nationalist houses falling into the street. A number of bolts as well as bottles, bricks and stones were used to attack the nationalist houses from the loyalist Glen Byrn area. In east Belfast Bryson Street was again the target for loyalist bombers and stone throwing took place from loyalists in the Newtownards Road, fireworks were also used to attack the nationalist Short Strand.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 2003: Loyalists on the Newtownards Road in east Belfast carried out a number of attacks against the nationalist Short Strand on Wednesday night as well as stones, bricks and bottles being used fireworks and paint bombs were also used in the attack, loyalists also used a stolen JCB to knock down a spy camera in the area.
In north Belfast the nationalist people of Alliance Avenue settled in for yet another night of attacks from the loyalist Glen Bryn area as RUC landrovers kept mobile patrols in the Alliance Avenue to no doubt make sure nationalists wouldn't be able to defend their homes against the loyalist sectarianism.
THURSDAY, MARCH 20, 2003: Minor stone throwing took place throughout the day with loyalists in the Glen Bryn area once again targeting the nationalist houses in the Alliance Avenue. There was also trouble in the loyalist Ballygomartin area, it was claimed that fighting broke out between loy- alists and nationalists at Springmartin road. The occupation forces moved into the area. Loyalists then started to attack those they claim to be their own crown forces, the RUC/PSNI. Not for the first time has the confused loyalism attacked the Crown.
RUC/PSNI attacked anti-war protestors at one stage during an anti-war demonstration in Belfast. The RUC drew batons on school children and made two arrests. Once again the RUC have shown how willing they are to use force even against anti-war protestors.
Clifford McKeown, 44, from Craigavon, County Armagh man was convicted of the murder of nationalist taxi driver Michael McGoldrick in 1996. The court was told the killing had been a "birthday present" for the then Loyalist Volunteer Force leader Billy Wright, who was later murdered by the INLA in Long Kesh prison. He is already serving 12 years imprisonment for possessing guns.
The so-called 'Coalition of the Willing', consisting of the USA and Britain, along with Australia and Poland launched their war on Iraq.The Dublin Administration pushed through a motion in Leinster House that will continue to keep Shannon Airport open to military forces.
The home of Tommy Gallagher, his wife and two children at Drumahoe Gardens in the mainly loyalist area Millbrook area of Larne, Co Antrim was targetted in a loyalist arson attack. Two petrol bombs were thrown at their home, one hitting the front of the house where it ignited, causing scorch damage, the other hit a vacant house next door.
FRIDAY, MARCH 21, 2003: Friday saw some minor stone throwing once again by loyalists from Glen Bryn targeting the nationalist homes in the Alliance Avenue. Friday was also witness to Brit occupation forces enforce in north Belfast. Mobile patrols were backed up by foot patrols in the Old Park Road, Bone and Cliftonville area setting the scene for the day.
Four students at Jordanstown College in Belfast were forced to leave their rented accommodation in the Cloughfern area of Newtownabbey, outside Belfast after being repeatedly threatened by groups of men who said if they didn't leave they would be moved out by the UDA.
SATURDAY, MARCH 22, 2003: There was reports of an arms find in south Belfast. At this stage there's no further details. Also on Saturday night there were reports of minor stoning towards the nationalist houses in Alliance Avenue, again from the loyalist Glenbryn. No damage was caused in the attack that only lasted a number of minutes. The arms find in University Street on the Ormeau Road has been claimed to be a number of handguns, a rifle shotgun, hundreds of bullets and bomb parts.
SUNDAY, MARCH 23, 2003: Around 6.30pm on Sunday fighting broke out at Ardoyne Road after nationalists confronted loyalists who came down from the Glen Bryn area and started to attack the houses of nationalists on the Ardoyne Road and in Alliance Avenue. The fighting at one stage became very heavy and a number of shots were also heard. This latest attack on the nationalist people of Ardoyne came after a week of such attacks against the nationalist people of Alliance Avenue carried out from the loyalist Glen Bryn area. The fighting subsided after a time and the area was flooded with Occupation Forces. Tension stayed high in the area and the people in the nationalist Avenue have settled down for a sleepless night.
MONDAY, MARCH 24, 2003: There has been claims that the weapons found near the Ormeau Road on Saturday belong to the Provisionals. A number of people were arrested in the area.
TUESDAY, MARCH 25, 2003: There were reports on Tuesday morning of a number of bomb scares in the Newtownabbey area of north Belfast. It is believed that the scares are in the loyalist White House area. The nationalist people of Alliance Avenue were once again under constant attack by loyalists in the Glen Bryn area. Missiles rained down over the so-called peace-line. The attacks started in the afternoon and went on throughout the day. Damage was caused to a number of nationalist houses. There were no reports of injuries.
Darren Watson (28), a loyalist from south Down who was convicted of gun charges, was given a two-year conditional discharge by a British court.
WEDNESDAY, MARCH 26, 2003: Once again and as has been going on for a number of weeks now, the nationalist people living on the frontline in the Alliance Avenue were victim to the targeting of loyalist stone throwers from the Glen Bryn area. Although the attacks are minor to that of recent days, that doesn't make it any less of a worry for the people who live in this area.
THURSDAY, MARCH 27, 2003: There was no reports of trouble but, Occupation Forces were heavy on the ground with mobile foot patrols and Brit/RUC armoured foot patrols were constant throughout the day. Every so often nationalist youths would target the patrols with the odd brick or bottles.
FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 2003: There were no reports of trouble on Friday.
SATURDAY, MARCH 29, 2003: Saturday was once again witness to attacks on homes in the Alliance Avenue. Loyalists in the Glen Bryn area targeted the backs of the houses with missiles and bricks; bottles were also thrown over the so-called peace-line. The attacks took place from around 7pm on Saturday and went on throughout the night. Some damage was caused but this was minor.
SUNDAY, MARCH 30, 2003: There were no reports of trouble on Sunday although a number of people in the nationalist Alliance Avenue of north Belfast claimed to have heard a number of shots being fired around 10.45pm.
At this stage its not known what the target may have been or indeed if it was a test firing, as it is known loyalists have been test firing weapons in the area; needless to say such action leaves the nationalist community of north Belfast feeling uneasy.
MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2003: Monday was witness to yet more stoning of nationalist
houses in the Alliance Avenue. The stoning that took place in the late
afternoon was on a minor level and caused no damage.
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