The hierarchy of victimhood

The hierarchy of victimhood

When the two British soldiers were killed in Antrim and a police officer in Lurgan in March, protests were held throughout the north condemning the killings. One trade union leader described the action as a ‘crime’.

Just over a week ago, an innocent Catholic was murdered in Coleraine while going to the aid of a neighbour who had been set upon by a Loyalist mob. The dead man’s wife and a pregnant woman were also battered in the process. In scenes reminiscent of the Shankill Butchers, the ,mob wielded hammers and bats.

The murdered man, Kevin McDaid, was a community activist who had worked in the local area to improve community relations, having taken groups of Catholic and Protestant children away.
The North Antrim nationalist community over the past few years has been subject to continuous sectarian harassment by Loyalists and their coat trailers. Last year, a group of young soccer players from Dublin had to be removed from Coleraine after an attack on their accommodation. In July 2007, Michael McInveen's father received a death threat from Loyalists after removing the name of his murdered 16 year old son from an 11th Night bonfire. Kevin McDaid’s son has also been informed by the PSNI that his life is also under threat.

The silence and lack of action from all quarters has been deafening. DUP councillor, Adrian McQuillan said the calling was “Tit for tat” and a direct result of “there being tricolours up yesterday afternoon”. In other words, the victim deserved what he got.

It seems that the definition of what is a crime has changed since March, at the demonstration on June 2 outside Belfast City Hall, the crowd barely reached triple figures – if even that. Those who lined up behind the state in March are now conspicuous by their silence, their absence at the demonstrations and the lack of any calls for condemnation.

Condemning the murder of an innocent Catholic is beyond the pale, it is a contradiction of the respectability that Loyalist paramilitaries now have. This situation is made even worse by allegations from the dead man’s wife that two police officers in a squad car watched the murder in scenes reminiscent of the murder of Robert Hamill in Portadown.

June is the month in which Republicans, Socialists and all progressives celebrate the birthday of Wolfe Tone. Sectarianism is a consequence of British rule in Ireland, the first step towards the eradication of sectarianism is the removal of British rule. iI truly is time for all Irish people – Catholic, Protestant, Dissenter and otherwise – to unite to break the connection.