Sectarian Murder in Coleraine was Avoidable

By Seán Mitchell

The murder of Catholic man, Kevin McDaid this past week in Coleraine was a blatant act of sectarian barbarity. Mr. McDaid, a local community worker, was battered to death by a large group of Loyalists outside his home. He had come to the aid of another man who was under attack but then the mob set upon him. His wife and another pregnant woman where both badly beating whilst attempting to defend the man.

The role of the PSNI in this dreadful murder must be examined. Local people, including Kevin McDaid's wife, have said that the Police failed to intervene to stop the attackers. Police officers sat in their car whist the attack took place. Many residents had expected an attack to happen and there can be no suggestion that the PSNI were caught by surprise. Barricades had been erected to stop the Loyalist mobs from entering but they where then told by the PSNI to remove them.

The police have shown themselves to be utterly useless if not compliant in dealing with sectarianism. It exposes the absolute fallacy that we have entered into a new era of policing, void of sectarianism and acting as a “service not a force”. The PSNI are still an utterly sectarian force and reactionary to their core.

In the immediate aftermath of the killing, both Politicians and the Police moved to distance Loyalist Paramilitaries from the attack, despite the fact that the family of the murdered man are convinced of UDA involvement, and despite the evidence linking some of the attackers to the paramilitary organisation. Unionists have recently been working quite closely with the UDA in negotiations and the Assembly has been considering giving the organisation millions of pounds to wind down – so they would rather not have the embarrassment of the UDA being associated with this attack.

Reaction from local politicians has been mixed at best. Despite the “unequivocal” condemnation of the RIRA attacks just a few months ago, some Unionist politicians have tried to claim that this was Loyalist reaction to Nationalist provocation.

DUP councillor Adrian McQuillan said: “What reason can you see for there being tricolours up yesterday afternoon, a Sunday afternoon? None other than for to get a reaction from the loyalist community and they certainly got a reaction this time, which is very sad.”

These disgusting remarks only serve to justify the actions of sectarian Loyalists and go some way to revealing the real politics of the DUP. The murder in Coleraine is only one of many sectarian attacks on Catholics in the area. It is clear the DUP have no intention of stopping this. In the run up to the European elections, the DUP have been playing the sectarian card quite heavily. What we are seeing here is an attempt to outdo the sectarianism of their European election rival, Jim Alister.

Kevin McDaid's murder was an avoidable tragedy, which should be met with fierce condemnation. Already anti-sectarian rallies have been called in Derry and other areas should follow suit. Working class people must stand shoulder to shoulder against these sectarian attacks, but also against the state that creates the conditions that sectarianism thrives in.