Republicans attacking kids again
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Original post
Londonderry Journal
Principal condemns sectarian abuse
A STRABANE school principal yesterday condemned 'cowardly and dangerous'
sectarian attacks on his pupils.
Children attending Strabane Grammar School were the target of sickening
abuse by drunken soccer fans in the wake of Ireland's World Cup draw against
Germany on Wednesday.
Two buses taking pupils home from the Liskey Road school were stoned as they
passed through the town's Market Street area.
The controlled grammar school is attended by mainly Protestant pupils, but
there is also an increasing number of Catholic children.
Terrified pupils, some as young as 11, screamed in horror as a window was
broken in one bus and shattered in another.
Mr. Lewis Lacey, the headmaster, revealed that some junior pupils also had
beer thrown over them.
He said: "Some of the people celebrating Ireland's success in the World Cup
decided it was appropriate to attack Strabane Grammar School pupils going
home on the bus or in the street.
"Some junior pupils had pints of beer thrown over them and a bus was stoned
as well."
Mr. Lacey said: "Attacking young children with stones or threatening them is
cowardly and dangerous and should be condemned by everyone.
'Enemy'
"It is regrettable that the school should be regarded as an enemy and
targeted for sectarian abuse. There is no reason to suppose that pupils
would not be as delighted with the progress of the Ireland team as anyone
else. Why do these people turn a football tournament into a political and
sectarian issue?"
Mr. Lacey revealed that in a separate incident, a group of people broke into
the school later in the evening, causing damage and made an attempt to set
fire to the building.
"Pupils and staff are in the middle of a busy examination period and this
kind of behaviour is disruptive and very upsetting for all concerned," the
headmaster said.
Local Ulster Unionist Councillor and MLA, Derek Hussey, said he had been
contacted by the parents of several of the children whose buses were stoned.
The children and their families were totally shocked and mystified as to why
people celebrating a football result should attack school buses.
Phone box
Mr. Hussey claimed that two young girls had gone to a phone box after the
incident to phone home, when three men approached and wrapped a tricolour
around the phone box.
"I am as exuberant about sport as anyone but this is no way for someone to
celebrate a satisfying result for the team they support," he said.
DUP Councillor Allan Bresland said he had also been contacted by several
parents outraged by the incidents.
"It was a sheer shame and disgrace. The two parents that phoned me had
children in their first year at the school. They were scared out of their
wits and didn't want to go back again," he said.
Colr. Bresland added: "Martin McGuinness, the Education Minister, said he
would make every school a safe haven. This is the latest in a series of
attacks on buses taking pupils from Strabane Grammar School.
"They had to change buses at Abercorn Square and there was more hassle then.
The only solution I can see is to change the location of the grammar
school," the DUP councillor said.
Sinn Fein Councillor, Jarlath McNulty, said: "Anybody from any side of the
community who attacks school buses has to be ostracised. We have seen what
happened to young children at Holy Cross P.S. in Belfast and we abhorred
that.
"Children should be free to come and go from school in a normal society and
attacks of this nature are ridiculous."
Robert Burke, supervisor at the Ulsterbus depot in Strabane, said a window
was cracked in one of the school buses attacked, and a window "put out" in
the other bus.
Different route
He said that instead of dropping off his passengers as normal, one of the
drivers had taken a different route to get back into the town.
Mr. Burke said bus drivers and pupils had also been subjected to verbal
abuse by members of the large crowd milling about after the match.
"There is a group that goes round and I think they are more interested in
creating a bit of trouble. I don't class them as Irish supporters.
"I have been speaking to different people and they seemed to go out and
enjoy the game, have a few drinks and go on home. We have had phone calls
from genuine supporters saying they are disgusted about what happened," he
said.
sectarian attacks on his pupils.
Children attending Strabane Grammar School were the target of sickening
abuse by drunken soccer fans in the wake of Ireland's World Cup draw against
Germany on Wednesday.
Two buses taking pupils home from the Liskey Road school were stoned as they
passed through the town's Market Street area.
The controlled grammar school is attended by mainly Protestant pupils, but
there is also an increasing number of Catholic children.
Terrified pupils, some as young as 11, screamed in horror as a window was
broken in one bus and shattered in another.
Mr. Lewis Lacey, the headmaster, revealed that some junior pupils also had
beer thrown over them.
He said: "Some of the people celebrating Ireland's success in the World Cup
decided it was appropriate to attack Strabane Grammar School pupils going
home on the bus or in the street.
"Some junior pupils had pints of beer thrown over them and a bus was stoned
as well."
Mr. Lacey said: "Attacking young children with stones or threatening them is
cowardly and dangerous and should be condemned by everyone.
'Enemy'
"It is regrettable that the school should be regarded as an enemy and
targeted for sectarian abuse. There is no reason to suppose that pupils
would not be as delighted with the progress of the Ireland team as anyone
else. Why do these people turn a football tournament into a political and
sectarian issue?"
Mr. Lacey revealed that in a separate incident, a group of people broke into
the school later in the evening, causing damage and made an attempt to set
fire to the building.
"Pupils and staff are in the middle of a busy examination period and this
kind of behaviour is disruptive and very upsetting for all concerned," the
headmaster said.
Local Ulster Unionist Councillor and MLA, Derek Hussey, said he had been
contacted by the parents of several of the children whose buses were stoned.
The children and their families were totally shocked and mystified as to why
people celebrating a football result should attack school buses.
Phone box
Mr. Hussey claimed that two young girls had gone to a phone box after the
incident to phone home, when three men approached and wrapped a tricolour
around the phone box.
"I am as exuberant about sport as anyone but this is no way for someone to
celebrate a satisfying result for the team they support," he said.
DUP Councillor Allan Bresland said he had also been contacted by several
parents outraged by the incidents.
"It was a sheer shame and disgrace. The two parents that phoned me had
children in their first year at the school. They were scared out of their
wits and didn't want to go back again," he said.
Colr. Bresland added: "Martin McGuinness, the Education Minister, said he
would make every school a safe haven. This is the latest in a series of
attacks on buses taking pupils from Strabane Grammar School.
"They had to change buses at Abercorn Square and there was more hassle then.
The only solution I can see is to change the location of the grammar
school," the DUP councillor said.
Sinn Fein Councillor, Jarlath McNulty, said: "Anybody from any side of the
community who attacks school buses has to be ostracised. We have seen what
happened to young children at Holy Cross P.S. in Belfast and we abhorred
that.
"Children should be free to come and go from school in a normal society and
attacks of this nature are ridiculous."
Robert Burke, supervisor at the Ulsterbus depot in Strabane, said a window
was cracked in one of the school buses attacked, and a window "put out" in
the other bus.
Different route
He said that instead of dropping off his passengers as normal, one of the
drivers had taken a different route to get back into the town.
Mr. Burke said bus drivers and pupils had also been subjected to verbal
abuse by members of the large crowd milling about after the match.
"There is a group that goes round and I think they are more interested in
creating a bit of trouble. I don't class them as Irish supporters.
"I have been speaking to different people and they seemed to go out and
enjoy the game, have a few drinks and go on home. We have had phone calls
from genuine supporters saying they are disgusted about what happened," he
said.
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