Northern Ireland

Jamie Bryson attacks Irish government hours after Coveney bomb alert

A loyalist campaigner has criticised the Irish government for acting "like they own" Northern Ireland, hours after the foreign minister was evacuated from a peace event because of a bomb alert.

Addressing an anti-protocol rally last night, Jamie Bryson launched a scathing attack on the Republic's government and minister Simon Coveney.

Mr Coveney was earlier addressing a peace building event in honour of former SDLP leader John Hume at the Houben Centre in the Ardoyne area of north Belfast when he was rushed from the building by his security detail.

Those attending, including several high profile politicians, were also evacuated.

The event was organised by the John and Pat Hume Foundation, which was established in honour of the Nobel Peace Prize winner his late wife.

The alert began when the driver of a van was accosted in the loyalist Shankill Road area and ordered to drive the vehicle to the popular Catholic church linked centre, which is adjacent to Holy Cross Church.

The van driver was last night being treated in hospital.

It is believed that the driver raised the alarm at the door of the event.

Mr Coveney, who had started his speech, was ushered off the stage and to safety by his security detail.

Simon Coveney was ushered from the room due to a security alert
Simon Coveney was ushered from the room due to a security alert Simon Coveney was ushered from the room due to a security alert

The British army bomb squad later moved into the area and carried out a controlled explosion.

Police last night said the bomb was a hoax and suggested the UVF may have been responsible.

The hoax bomb is believed to be linked to loyalist opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, which created a border down the Irish Sea.

Yesterday's alert caused wide-spread disruption including to the funeral of north Belfast woman Bridie McDonnell, which was due to take place at the nearby church.

Irish government officials have been singled out for attention by loyalists opposed to the protocol in the recent past.

Last year Mr Coveney and former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar were targeted after their home addresses were scrawled on walls in loyalist areas.

Hours after the alert began, prominent loyalist Jamie Bryson addressed an anti-protocol event in Ballymoney, Co Antrim.

&nbsp;<span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, John McGregor, Jamie Bryson</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">, Kate Hoey and Ben Habib during an anti-Northern Ireland protocol rally and parade, organised by North Antrim Amalgamated Orange Committee, in Ballymoney, Co Antrim. Picture by</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13.3333px;">&nbsp;Liam McBurney/PA Wire</span>
 Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, John McGregor, Jamie Bryson, Kate Hoey and  Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, John McGregor, Jamie Bryson, Kate Hoey and Ben Habib during an anti-Northern Ireland protocol rally and parade, organised by North Antrim Amalgamated Orange Committee, in Ballymoney, Co Antrim. Picture by Liam McBurney/PA Wire

"The loyal sons and daughters of Ulster did not lay down their lives in two world wars and in fighting the IRA for a lily-livered government, and even weaker parliament, and a prime minister who is partying in Downing Street whilst the British citizens of Northern Ireland are held hostage under the jackboot of the EU and hostile Irish government," he claimed.

"Think about it, the Irish government that used the threat of IRA bombs to leverage this wicked protocol upon us and what is our Secretary of State doing?

"Having tea and buns and issuing joint statements with the Irish government."

Mr Bryson added that it was legitimate for loyalists to engage in peaceful protest.

"The Irish government come to Northern Ireland and swan around as if they own the place," he said.

"And it’s perfectly legitimate that unionists/loyalist exercise a basic right of peaceful protest, and I do emphasise peace protest only, and to ensure that Irish government officials will no longer be able to behave as if they have some authority in this part of the United Kingdom, whilst they continue to use the threat of IRA bombs to try and hold us hostage in an economic united Ireland."

Condemnation of yesterday's events was widespread.

Sinn Féin MP for north Belfast John Finucane said: "The attack on an event involving Minister Simon Coveney at north Belfast's Houben Centre today is disgraceful.

"Those behind the van hijacking which was left on church grounds have no place in society.

"While they try to bring back the past, we will keep working for the future."

An area around Holy Cross Church was evacuated during yesterday&#39;s alert
An area around Holy Cross Church was evacuated during yesterday's alert An area around Holy Cross Church was evacuated during yesterday's alert

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood added: "These mindless thugs won't deter the John and Pat Hume Foundation from carrying out their work to further peace."

Former Belfast city councillor Tim Attwood, who works with the foundation, said "there is no role in our society for violence".

"A suspect device will not stop the work of the John and Pat Hume Foundation," he added.

Alliance councillor Nuala McAllister said: "They can try and cause fear all they want but are not wanted here. North Belfast has come so far and these people will not drag us back to the past.”

Ardoyne based priest Fr Gary Donegan, who was at the event said: "Talk about a senseless moronic act.

"Because, whatever message they meant to send out to the community has so spectacularly back fired that the message from Ardoyne, Twaddell and Woodvale and the Houben centre today is 'that we are together as a community'."

In a joint statement Church of Ireland Primate of All Ireland John McDowel and Bishop of Connor George Davison said: "Peace and stability in Northern Ireland are maintained and advanced through good relationships at all levels within Ireland and across these islands, and there is no place for violence or the threat of violence in our society.

"Violence has nothing to offer and can only push our society backwards."

Mr Coveney later posted on Twitter that he was “Saddened and frustrated that someone has been attacked and victimised in this way and my thoughts are with him and his family”.

Victim's campaigner Alan McBride, who lost his wife in the Shankill Bomb, and was due to speak at the event, said he was thinking about Patsy Gillespie.

Mr Gillispie was killed when he was strapped into a van and forced to drive an IRA bomb to a British army checkpoint in Derry in 1990.

"The trauma that that caused today, particularly to the guy that actually had to drive the van into Holy Cross Chapel - I'm thinking today about Patsy Gillespie of course, who did something similar in Derry many, many years ago and of course the bomb went off and he was killed - all of that trauma," Mr McBride told the BBC.

DUP leader, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said it was "good to see widespread condemnation of those behind the hijacking and security alert".

"Most people want to get on with their lives and have no truck with those who cling to violence," he said.

Alliance Party leader Naomi Long said those who had carried it out were "hell-bent on dragging us back to the past".

"Imagine the van driver, hijacked and forced to drive this, not knowing if the device was viable. It's abuse to put someone through such mental torture," she said.