Widespread condemnation after Bessbrook memorial attack

There has been widespread condemnation from local political parties after an attack on Kingsmills Memorial, Bessbrook last weekend.

Paint was thrown over the memorial

According to local police, they received a report at around 4.15pm on Saturday (7th February), that paint had been daubed on a memorial in the area.

Danny Kennedy, UUP MLA for Newry & Armagh condemned the latest attack on the Kingsmills memorial.

Speaking to Newry Times, Kennedy said, “This is yet another sickening attack on a memorial dedicated to the memory of ten innocent Protestants murdered when coming home from work.

“This will cause distress to the relatives and it has to be condemned. It is a hate crime and there should be no place in a decent society for this memorial to be damaged or violated,” he added.

Newry & Armagh DUP MLA William Irwin stated, “The memorial is very important to the families of the ten innocent men who were murdered by the IRA at Kingsmills and serves as a poignant and solemn reminder of the terrible crime that was committed there.

“To learn that it has been attacked is a disgrace and I sincerely hope that the police fully and rigorously investigate this hate crime, as that is exactly what this attack represents, hatred directed at a community that has suffered hugely at the hands of the IRA.”

Sinn Féin’s Mickey Brady described the paint attack on the memorial as a ‘criminal and disgraceful act’. “It’s absolutely disgraceful that this type of criminal activity would happen. I condemn it unreservedly.

He added, “It doesn’t serve any purpose or cause, it doesn’t do anything only hurt those whose loved ones’ this monument represents.”

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Posted by Newry Times News on Feb 9 2015. Filed under Community, Politics. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry