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By Sharon O’Neill
A LOYALIST paramilitary group last night issued death threats against members of the Holy Cross parents’ committee whose children today face another hazardous journey to school today.
The Red Hand Defenders has warned three named members of the Right to Education Group (REG) they will be assassinated.
The warning was delivered to the homes of the trio by the RUC – just hours before a public meeting to discuss the crisis.
The threat came as a 32-year-old woman was charged with murder following the death of 16-year-old Protestant Thomas McDonald in the Whitewell area of north Belfast on Tuesday.
The woman is to appear at Belfast magistrates court this morning alongside two other men charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.
Today, children as young as four are, for the fourth day running, expected to face a loyalist protest as they walk with their parents to school amid a huge security presence.
Four police officers were injured yesterday in a blast-bomb attack as they escorted children to the school. Two officers were in a comfortable condition in hospital last night. Three men arrested after the incident are in police custody.
At a packed meeting at Ardoyne Community Centre last night some parents were adamant that they would take their children through the front entrance of the Holy Cross Girls’ Primary School.
But in the wake of yesterday’s blast bomb the general consensus was that parents would assess the security situation before facing protesters.
Fr Aidan Troy, chairman of the board of governors, said he would discuss the situation with security chiefs.
“It’s a morning-by-morning decision by the parents and then if the parents decide to go up then I will go up with them.”
Fr Troy also offered to help in any mediation bid by clergy men to broker a solution.
Brendan Mailey, spokesman for the REG, called on the four main Church leaders to support parents and children by walking with them to the school.
Mr Mailey stressed that the safety of the children was “paramount”.
Parents are to ask other schools to join a peaceful vigil at the bottom of Ardoyne Road on Friday morning.
Denise Donnelly whose 10-year-old daughter attends the school said: “Friday’s vigil will be well away from any blockade, we want people to peacefully stand and show their solidarity.”
Ms Donnelly said she was prepared to walk her daughter to school this morning but added: “I’m going to go up to see what we are facing, and if it’s okay we’ll walk through the front gate.”
Another mother said: “The kids are resiliant and they want to go this way to school, that’s what they want to do and we will go with them.”
Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly who attended the meeting called for an end to the protests.
“There has to be dialogue, the parents have said they are prepared to speak to anyone who wants to sort this out,” he said.
Residents from the loyalist Glenbryn estate also held a meeting last night, but earlier vowed to continue their protests despite widespread pleas for it to be abandoned.
Anne Bill of the Concerned Residents of Upper Ardoyne called for any protest to be peaceful.
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